Mets get to Mikolas, beat Cardinals 3-1
NEW YORK (AP) — Facing emerging right-handed ace Miles Mikolas, Mets manager Buck Showlater stacked his lineup with six lefties and two switch-hitters.
That played just right for the NL East leaders.
Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith helped New York chip away at Mikolas, Trevor Williams was sharp in a spot start and the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 Tuesday to open a doubleheader.
McNeil and Smith each had two hits, including an RBI double apiece in the third inning. McNeil also narrowly missed a homer foul during a 12-pitch at-bat against Mikolas in the first and Smith singled and scored on a groundout in the second.
“A lot of good at-bats,” Showalter said. “We didn't strike out a whole lot off him until later on. He's a good one. He's got a lot of weapons.”
Mikolas (3-2) entered with a 1.49 ERA but allowed a season-high three runs (two earned) over six innings. The 33-year-old right-hander matched a season most with seven hits allowed and threw a season-high 106 pitches.
“They were putting some good swings on the ball early,” Mikolas said. “I think we made an adjustment with our pitch calling and I was able to have a couple clean innings.”
Paul Goldschmidt homered for St. Louis, which opened a seven-game trip with its first doubleheader this season.
St. Louis put two runners on against Edwin Díaz in the ninth, but the Mets closer struck out Harrison Bader swinging to end his ninth save.
New York, coming off its first series loss this year against Seattle, has won 12 straight games following a defeat.
It was the first meeting between the teams since a bench-clearing scuffle in St. Louis on April
27. After four Mets hitters were plunked in the series, New York reliever Yoan López threw a pitch near Nolan Arenado's head that sparked the melee.
Major League Baseball suspended Arenado two games and Cardinals reliever Génesis Cabrera one game for their roles the dustup. Arenado has appealed his ban and hasn't served any punishment yet.
Arenado was booed throughout Tuesday by Mets fans and went 0 for 4. Cabrera didn't pitch in the opener.
Williams threw four scoreless innings in a spot start for injured Tylor Megill. The righthander struck out six and allowed four hits and no walks on 65 pitches.
“I'm just happy to contribute,” Williams said. “I know this is what my job is, is to save the bullpen.”
Jake Reed (1-0) walked two of his first three hitters but still followed Williams with two scoreless innings in his 2022 debut. Seth Lugo was perfect in the seventh and Drew Smith allowed Goldschmidt's homer in the eighth.
GRIEVING MARTE
Mets outfielder Starling Marte was placed on the bereavement list following the death of his grandmother, which came nearly two years to the day after his wife died of a heart attack.
Mets manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday that Marte's grandmother, Ponga Brigida, died unexpectedly. Marte was
raised by his grandmother in the Dominican Republic after his mother died when he was 9. Wednesday will mark two years since Marte's wife, Noelia, died of a heart attack.
“It was heart-wrenching talking to him yesterday,” Showalter said.
DODGERS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 6
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Justin Turner homered in a five-run sixth inning, and the Dodgers outlasted the Diamondbacks to begin the first doubleheader ever played by the NL West rivals.
Will Smith also connected early for the Dodgers, whose four homers matched their season high. Betts also doubled and singled, and Freddie Freeman added a key RBI single in the seventh inning of Los Angeles' third straight win.
Christian Walker hit an early two-run homer and Alek Thomas added a solo shot in the seventh for the Diamondbacks, who lost their fourth straight in the opener of Dodger Stadium's first doubleheader since 1999. Ketel Marte drove in two runs, but Arizona lost at Dodger Stadium for the 21st time in 24 games.
The Dodgers fell behind by multiple runs for the seventh consecutive game, but rallied to win again when their sluggers finally got to Tyler Gilbert (0-2) in the sixth.
Ryan Pepiot gave up three runs and two hits over four innings for Los Angeles in his second big league start. Five relievers then combined for five innings of four-hit ball, with Justin Bruihl (1-1) getting the win.