Mets 5, Cardinals 1
NEW YORK -- Dillon Gee produced his third straight sterling start and Lucas Duda, David Wright and Marlon Byrd all hit solo homers Wednesday night as the New York Mets enjoyed a rare easy home win by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 in front of 23,331 at Citi Field.
The Mets (24-36) won for just the second time in nine games following a four-game sweep of the cross-town Yankees. The win marked the first home game in which the Mets scored the winning runs prior to their final at-bat since April 21.
Gee allowed one run on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He is 3-0 in his last three starts with a 1.29 ERA (three earned runs in 21 innings) and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 26/3. In his first 10 starts this season, Gee was 2-6 with a 6.34 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 37/17.
The Cardinals mounted their best threat against Gee in the sixth, when Allen Craig homered with one out. Yadier Molina followed with a long double to left, but Gee struck out David Freese and Jon Jay to end the inning.
Gee pumped his fist as he walked off the mound following the strikeout of Jay.
Duda and Daniel Murphy provided Gee all the offense he'd need with RBI singles in the first off Shelby Miller. Duda and Wright hit one-out homers off Miller in the fourth and sixth, respectively, and Byrd greeted reliever Seth Maness with a homer leading off the seventh.
Omar Quintanilla went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts as his eight-game hitting streak came to an end.
Molina went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles for the Cardinals (42-23), who fell to 23-11 on the road.
Freese went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as his career-best 20-game hitting streak ended.
Miller (7-4) allowed a career-high four runs in six innings as his ERA rose from 1.91 to 2.21. He had allowed as many as three runs just three times in his first 13 big league starts.
The Mets maximized their opportunities against Miller, who gave up just five hits and no walks while striking out 10 over six innings. It was the second 10-strikeout game of the season for Miller, who whiffed 13 in his one-hit shutout of the Rockies on May 10.
NOTES: Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said he hadn't made a decision yet on who among rookies Tyler Lyons and Michael Wacha would lose his spot in the rotation when Jake Westbrook returns. He is scheduled to come off the disabled list and start Friday against the Marlins. Lyons had a 3.51 ERA in four starts while Wacha has a 4.58 ERA in three starts. ... Matheny said the Cardinals still were waiting to hear about the appeal they lodged following Tuesday night after Yadier Molina's long fly to right was called a two-base error when it was misplayed by Mets right fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis. The error led to two unearned runs for the Cardinals. Molina entered Wednesday second in the NL in batting average at .351, .002 behind Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki. With a hit Tuesday, Molina's average would have risen to .354. ... The Mets' top prospect, Zack Wheeler, was scheduled to make what will almost surely be his final start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday night. Wheeler is expected to join the Mets for Tuesday's doubleheader in Atlanta. ... Mets right-handed pitcher Scott Atchison, who has been out since May 14 due to right elbow inflammation, joined Double-A Binghamton on a rehab assignment.
