Pete Alonso's 8th home run of season lifts Mets over Cardinals

Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News on May 2, 2025

Published in Baseball

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Friday night’s matchup at Busch Stadium featured the fifth meeting between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.

After opening the floodgates in the fifth inning, the Mets stayed undefeated against their NL Central foes.

Pete Alonso’s eighth home run of the season lifted the Mets to an 9-3 victory over the Cardinals. The two-run shot in the fifth frame went 417 feet to center field and served as the go-ahead run. Alonso, who was named National League Player of the Month Friday, ended the night with 30 RBI, good for second in the NL.

After Alonso made the score 4-3, Mark Vientos grounded into a fielders’ choice that scored Brandon Nimmo. The lead then extended to three after Francisco Alvarez’s RBI single to right field.

In the second inning, a pair of grounders by Alvarez and Jeff McNeil initially got the Mets on the board.

The Mets totaled four runs in the fifth then scored two more insurance runs in the seventh after Nimmo hit a leadoff homer and Alvarez recorded his third RBI of the night.

Luisangel Acuna added one more after a sac fly in the ninth.

The runs were enough to help Clay Holmes (4-1) to a win.

The righty managed to give up just three runs in six innings of work. He struck out three batters and ended another outing — now seven starts — without giving up a home run.

Holmes reached season-highs in pitch count (92) and innings pitch Friday, staying tough in an outing he allowed eights hits in. He also got struck in the leg by a 100-mph comebacker by Alec Burleson in the second, but later stayed in the game.

The Cardinals’ runs came on two separate infield RBI singles by Masyn Win in the first and Willson Contreras in the third. Victor Scott II scored in the third after stealing third base then advancing home on Alvarez’s throwing error.

Even with early run support, Cardinals starter Sonny Gray (3-1) was unable to keep his team in the lead. The former Yankees right-hander allowed six runs (four earned), nine hits and three walks in just 4 1/3 innings of work. He struck out six.

Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek combined to pitch three scoreless innings in relief.

The Mets will try to stay undefeated against the Cardinals as Tylor Megill faces off against right-hander Erick Fedde on Saturday.

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