Cardinals bounce back, beat Mets 5-1

JUPITER, Fla. (June 29, 2024) – The Palm Beach Cardinals bounced back from squandering an 8-0 lead on Friday night to beat the St. Lucie Mets 5-1 on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The Cardinals took a 3-2 series lead.

Cardinals pitchers Chen-Wei Lin and Benjamin Arias combined to limit the Mets to four hits. Lin gave up the lone run over 5.0 innings. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk. Arias pitched the final 4.0 innings to earn his second save. He gave up one hit and struck out five.

Mets starter Ernesto Mercedes was solid overall but struggled with his command. He logged 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on five hits. He tied a season-high with six walks and suffered the loss.

The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Yohairo Cuevas dunked a two-out RBI single into left field that plated Colin Houck. Houck had singled to start the inning. Both Houck and Cuevas extended their hitting streaks to season-high seven games.

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the bottom of the of the second on a walk and two singles. Mercedes got a popout on the infield for the first out, then Brayden Jobert hit a sac fly to tie the game 1-1. Mercedes walked the next batter to load the bases, then he walked Trey Paige to force in the go-ahead run for a 2-1 Cardinals lead.

Mercedes settled down and got through the inning. He kept the Cardinals off the board in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Mercedes walked the leadoff hitter Jose Cordoba in the sixth inning. Mercedes struck out the next batter to end his night. Reliever Gregori Louis came in and quickly got the second out but gave up a two-out RBI single to Lizandro Espinoza that scored Cordoba to make it 3-1.

A one out error and walk in the bottom of the seventh created more trouble for the Mets. Later in the inning Louis walked Sammy Hernandez to force home another run. Cordoba followed with a sac fly for the final run of the night.

Louis pitched 2.2 innings and gave up two earned runs.

Houck, Cuevas, Boston Baro and Jeffry Rosa had the only hits for the Mets. Rosa had the lone extra base hit, a double.

The Mets (2-6, 24-50) and Cardinals (4-3, 41-32) play their series finale at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.