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Cardinals 2, Mets 1

NEW YORK -- St. Louis' Adam Wainwright became the first pitcher to reach 10 wins this season after allowing four hits in seven shutout innings Thursday afternoon, and Matt Carpenter laced an RBI triple as the Cardinals edged the Mets, 2-1, at a mostly empty Citi Field.

The announced crowd for the finale of the three-game series was 25,471, but the actual number was far less than half that, as most fans stayed away in anticipation of torrential day-long rains. But after sporadic heavy showers in the morning, the game started on time and was played without a single drop of rain falling.

That was good news for the Mets and Cardinals, who don't play again this season and whose next mutual off-day, June 24, comes in the middle of an 11-game, four-city road trip for the Mets and the day before the Cardinals start an eight-game, three-city road trip.

Wainwright and Mets pitcher Matt Harvey, two of the best starters and most proficient strike-throwers in the league, each pitched as if they were trying to beat the rain. The two combined to throw 22 pitches -- 19 strikes -- in the first inning, and their quick pace allowed the first five innings to be played in an hour and 15 minutes.

Wainwright (10-3) set down the first 11 Mets on just 34 pitches before David Wright singled with two outs in the fourth inning. The righty walked two -- one intentionally -- and struck out six. He allowed just one runner as far as second base in throwing 95 pitches, 61 for strikes.

Harvey (5-1) took the hard-luck loss -- his first in 14 starts this season -- after allowing one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. He threw 97 pitches, 67 for strikes.

The Mets have scored just 18 runs with Harvey on the mound in his previous 10 starts, a stretch in which he is 1-1 with a 2.51 ERA.

Trevor Rosenthal allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth. Closer Edward Mujica recorded his 19th save despite making things interesting in the ninth, when he allowed a one-out solo homer to Marlon Byrd and a double to John Buck before retiring Kirk Nieuwenhuis on a grounder and striking out pinch-hitter Josh Satin to strand pinch-runner Collin Cowgill at third.

Pete Kozma had three hits for the Cardinals, while Carpenter, Carlos Beltran, Allen Craig each had two. Beltran extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

In the third inning, Kozma singled with one out, went to second on Wainwright's bunt and scored when Carpenter tripled past a diving Byrd in right field.

The Cardinals used four singles to score an insurance run in the eighth, when Craig's two-out hit brought home Beltran.

Wright had three hits while Buck had two for the Mets.

New York mounted its best threat against Wainwright in the third, when Daniel Murphy followed Wright's single by drawing a four-pitch walk -- the first unintentional four-pitch walk of the season issued by Wainwright. Lucas Duda lofted a long fly to right-center field, but centerfielder Jon Jay made the catch at the wall.

NOTES. Mets manager Terry Collins said Thursday morning that Zack Wheeler, the club's top prospect, will be held to about 85 pitches in his final start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday night. Wheeler is on pace to make his major-league debut during the Mets' doubleheader against the Braves in Atlanta on June 18. ... Giants' manager Bruce Bochy selected Collins and Nationals manager Davey Johnson as his coaches for the All-Star Game, which will be played at Citi Field on July 16. Johnson managed the Mets to their most recent world championship in 1986. The AL coaches are also former Mets, White Sox manager Robin Ventura and Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. ... Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny said Thursday morning he still wasn't ready to announce his starter for Sunday against the Marlins. Rookie Michael Wacha is in line to make that start, but fellow rookie Tyler Lyons, who will lose his rotation spot when Jake Westbrook comes off the disabled list Friday, is also a candidate. ... Third baseman David Freese, whose 20-game hitting streak ended Wednesday night, got Thursday off. Daniel Descalso started in his place.