Seesaw Series Between Cards (6) and Mets (11) Won by St. Louis in Epic Game 5

Game 1: Mets 3, Cardinals 1

St. Louis had no answer for Mets ace and eventual National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, who scattered seven hits and fanned 12 in 8 2/3 innings, the lone blemish on his ledger coming in the bottom of the seventh when Paul DeJong singled with two outs, stole second, and came in to score on a Colton Wong safety to center. As dominant as deGrom was, though, he received typically poor run support and the Cards’ run trimmed the Mets’ lead to 2-1. But the Mets tacked on an insurance run in the ninth and deGrom and closer Jeurys Familia wrapped two strikeouts and a groundout around another DeJong hit to seal the 3-1 victory.

Game 2: Cardinals 5, Mets 1

Any hope that the Mets would take the first two contests in St. Louis was quickly quashed by a four-run second inning and a fantastic performance by St. Louis’ pitching staff, led by starter Carlos Martinez who went seven strong innings in which he allowed one run on five hits and a walk, while striking out 10. The fateful second featured singles by Marcell Ozuna, Yadier Molina, and Jedd Gyorko, a walk to DeJong, and a bases loaded double by Matt Carpenter that cleared the bags just before he was thrown out at third. The Mets’ lone run came in the seventh on a Jay Bruce double and Devin Mesoraco single. Ozuna, Molina, and Gyorko combined for seven of the Cards’ 10 hits.

Game 3: Cardinals 11, Mets 1

The third game of the set was an absolute blowout that left no Mets hurler unscathed, especially starter Steven Matzwho surrendered eight runs in four innings and allowed three bombs to the 23 batters he faced. St. Louis center fielder Harrison Bader quickly quieted the Citi Field denizens with a mammoth 444-foot blast to left-center that gave the Cards a 2-0 lead after only two batters. The lead doubled in the fourth on a two-run shot by Patrick Wisdom, then St. Louis blew the game open with a five-run fifth highlighted by a three-run homer by Jose Martinez. Once again Cards pitching dominated as four twirlers allowed only one run on six hits, with Jack Flaherty earning the win after 5 1/3 solid innings.

Game 4: Mets 3, Cardinals 2

Staring down elimination with a one-run deficit going into the bottom of the eighth, the Mets rallied to tie the score at 2-2, then won it in walk-off fashion in the ninth to send the series to a deciding fifth game. Mets starter Zack Wheelerand Cards hurler Michael Wacha battled for six innings with Wacha’s Cardinals holding a 1-0 lead thanks to a Molina solo homer in the second. Wacha exited after six for Daniel Poncedeleon and the Mets greeted him with a single by Amed Rosario and run-scoring double by Brandon Nimmo to knot the score at 1-1.

St. Louis broke the tie with a run against Seth Lugo in the eighth, but New York tied it again at 2-2 when Jeff McNeilreached on an error by first baseman Matt Carpenter, advanced to third on walks to Michael Conforto and Wilmer Flores, and came home on a Rosario sac fly. After the Cards failed to score in the top of the ninth, the Mets rallied against Jordan Hicks and Tyler Webb, and won the game when Juan Lagares singled to lead off the inning, then scored with two outs on a double by McNeil.

Game 5: Cardinals 3, Mets 2 in 14 innings

With deGrom coming back for a Game 5 winner-take-all matchup the Mets had high hopes for an upset and trip to Round 2. deGrom was as brilliant as he was in Game 1, but once again the Mets provided little support on offense or defense and there was only so much the Florida native could do. Cards pitcher Miles Mikolas was every bit as good and both held the opposition scoreless until the fifth when the Cards scored on a Carpenter single following a two-base error by Mesoraco on a Wong bunt and a passed ball that sent Wong to third. New York tied the game in the eighth against reliever Dakota Hudson who walked three batters in the inning, including Bruce with the bases loaded.

The next five innings saw a parade of bullpen arms come and go—Lugo and Familia for the Mets; Bud Norris, John Brebbia, and Jordan Hicksfor the Cards—before the Mets broke the tie with a run in the top of the 14^thoff Austin Gomber. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the 14^th it didn’t look good for the Cards when Bader grounded out to short to lead off the inning. But Carpenter walked and the Mets called on flamethrower Daniel Zamora to get the final two outs. Yairo Munoz singled to left-center, Martinez walked to load the bases, Ozuna plated Carpenter with another single to left-center, and Molina sent the hometown crowd into a frenzy with a game-winning, walk-off hit to right.

--submitted by Mike Lynch of seamheads.com--

http://seamheads.com/blog/2019/01/06/seesaw-series-between-cards-6-and-mets-11-won-by-st-louis-in-epic-game-5/