Cardinals' Wacha gets first win against Mets
NEW YORK -- Michael Wacha is a 21-year-old in the midst of his first trip to New York City. He'll head home with the type of mementoes and souvenirs that can't be purchased, even in The Big Apple.
Wacha survived a rough first inning for his first major-league win and contributed his first big-league RBI during a five-run fifth inning that lifted the St. Louis Cardinals past the New York Mets 9-2 in front of 21,581 at Citi Field.
Wacha, who said he spent Monday's off-day touring the city, will have to wait at least a day for the tangible reminder of his accomplishments.
"I'm sure I'll get a ball or something," he said. "But nothing yet."
It didn't seem likely that Wacha, who was making his third big-league start, would post his first win during a laborious 37-pitch first inning in which he allowed two runs, two hits and three walks.
But he wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam to end the first and threw just 65 pitches in the next five innings, a stretch in which he surrendered three singles and didn't allow a runner past second base.
"I didn't want to come out early (and) have our bullpen taxed for the rest of the series," Wacha said. "So my goal was to go six, and I was able to do that."
Wacha is just the latest in a long line of young pitchers to succeed this year for the Cardinals, who won for the fourth time in five games to improve their MLB-best record to 42-22.
Forty-five of the Cardinals' 64 games have been started by homegrown hurlers, a group that includes Shelby Miller, who enters Wednesday's start against the Mets with a 1.91 ERA, and Lance Lynn, who won 18 games last year in his first full big-league season.
"We've said this quite a few times about these young pitchers: There's a lot of excitement about them now and rightfully so," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.
"But I think you really find out about them when things don't go exactly as scripted. Tonight was one of those nights. He just got better as he went. I thought (he) showed a lot of heart, a lot of focus. He never really let it get to him."
Allen Craig went 2-for-4 and hit a three-run homer to cap the Cardinals' five-run fifth, an inning in which all their runs were unearned thanks to a throwing error by new Mets first baseman Daniel Murphy.
Matt Holliday had three hits, three runs scored and an RBI, and Matt Adams and David Freese had two hits apiece. Freese extended his hitting streak to 20 games.
Craig also helped Wacha defensively when he crashed into the right-field wall to catch Marlon Byrd's long, wind-aided fly ball to end the third. Craig banged his head against the wall as he fell but felt well enough to continue until Matheny lifted him for precautionary purposes in the seventh.
His replacement, Shane Robinson, capped the Cardinals' scoring with a solo homer in the ninth.
"(Craig) had a great night, especially for a guy (who) wasn't sure if he was going to make it to his (second) at-bat," Matheny said. "Looked bad all the way. I'm sure the replay did too. He wanted to stay in there and fortunately for us he did."
Craig said, "I feel all right. Probably going to be a little sore tomorrow, but not a big deal."
The Mets (23-26) lost for the seventh time in eight games and failed, for the second straight game, to capitalize on an early multi-run lead. The Mets led Miami 4-1 in the third inning on Sunday but lost 8-4.
In response to that defeat, the Mets demoted three players, including slumping first baseman Ike Davis. But other than the two-run first, Tuesday's game was more of the same for New York. The Mets had just one base runner in the final four innings and their two errors led to seven unearned runs for the Cardinals.
"We've got to catch the baseball," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We've got to pitch better. We've got to hit better. It's pretty much the same stuff every night."
New leadoff hitter and second baseman Jordany Valdespin was 2-for-4. New no. 2 hitter Omar Quintanilla homered in the first and Byrd added a sacrifice fly.
Jeremy Hefner fell to 1-6 after allowing six runs -- just one earned -- on eight hits and one walk with two strikeouts in six innings.
NOTES: Matheny said before the game that RHP Jake Westbrook will come off the disabled list and start for St. Louis against the Miami Marlins on Friday. Westbrook had a 1.62 ERA in six starts before going on the shelf May 9 with right elbow inflammation. ... Jay started in center field in place of Carlos Beltran, who sat so he could have consecutive days off after Monday's off day. ... Davis, whom the Mets sent to Triple-A Las Vegas after Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Marlins, reported to the affiliate on Tuesday and was expected to start against Tacoma. Davis was demoted after hitting .161 with 66 strikeouts in 186 at-bats. ... Shortstop Ruben Tejada, who has been on the disabled list since May 30 with a strained right quad, ran at the Mets' minor league complex in Florida.
