It took almost three weeks for the New York Mets to lose games in a row.
Mets will look to snap their first season on Thursday night when they are hosted to St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game series.
Griffin Canning (1-1, 4.20 era), which was scraped from its scheduled Wednesday start due to illness, is expected to take Haugen for New York on Thursday against colleague right-hander Andre Pallante (2-0, 2.20).
Both teams played the rubber match in their respective three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. The visiting Mets fell to Minnesota Twins 4-3 in 10 rounds, while host Cardinals published a 4-1 victory over Houston Astros.
With the loss, Mets became the last team in Majors that was hit by back-to-back defeat this season. But New York had a chance to continue its unusual line Wednesday after mounting a game-binding, three-run rally in the eighth, who ended when Harrison Bader made a dive cat in the left field to rob Tyrone Taylor of what would probably have been the forward hit.
Juan Soto beat out in the ninth to Strand Francisco Lindor at the first base. Mets hit a primary opportunity on the 10th, when they had two on and no one before Jesse Winker founded into a double play and Brandon Nimmo sprung out at the following places.
“It was really good to get back in the game,” said Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza. “But overall we couldn’t end the deal today. We couldn’t get the job done. We have to play better.”
The Cardinals found a bit dissatisfied with following a 4-2 home where they won series against Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, each of which won division titles last season.
Former Mets Pitcher Steven Matz and four reliefs combined on a four-hitter Wednesday for the Cardinals, which surpassed Phillies and Astros 22-10 during the last six games.
Lars Nootbaar’s three-run burst from Ronel Blanco in the fifth round also continued a trend with current large hits for St. Louis, who met four homers during the home-incumbent on three of the multi-run variety.
“Of course, you like to take four out of sex here at home, but I like how we do it,” Cardinal Manager Oliver Marmol said Wednesday. “We met a good arm (Hunter Brown in Tuesday’s 2-0 loss), and we met another today, and we just continue to grind out bats, and then we got the big hit. We continue to play solid baseball.”
Canning got his first victory for Mets last Friday, when he allowed four runs over 5 1/3 rounds when New York beat Athletics 7-6. Pallante also registered the victory last Friday for the cardinals in a 2-0 victory over Phillies.
Canning is 2-1 with a 4.41 era in three career starts against the cardinals. Pallante is 0-1 with a 3.77 era in eight matches (one start) against Mets.
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