ST. LOUIS (AP) — Bo Bichette drove in two runs after a rough opening weekend, sparking the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
Clay Holmes (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 effective innings in his season debut, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out five.
Devin Williams, a St. Louis native, worked a 1-2-3 ninth to convert his first save opportunity with the Mets after signing a $51 million, three-year
contract as a free agent. Williams is replacing star closer Edwin Díaz, who left for the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.
Jorge Polanco and rookie Carson Benge each had two hits for the Mets. New York banged out 10 hits but stranded 11 runners.
Kyle Leahy (0-1) pitched into the sixth inning for St. Louis in his second career start and first at Busch Stadium. Leahy gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks. He is moving from the bullpen to the rotation this year after starting the final game of 2025.
Alec Burleson had two hits and an RBI for the Cardinals. Nolan Gorman hit a solo home run after hitting one Sunday for St. Louis.
The Mets extended their lead to 4-1 with two runs in the sixth. Jared Young doubled home Brett Baty, who led off with a single, to chase Leahy. Cardinals reliever Matt Svanson loaded the bases with a hit and a walk. He walked Juan Soto on four pitches to force in a run before retiring Bichette on a line drive to right.
Bichette, booed Sunday by Mets fans at Citi Field, drove in his second run of the game in the fifth. With two outs, he singled to right to score Benge, ending an 0-for-10 slump.
Bichette is 2 for 19 with eight strikeouts. He joined the Mets as a free agent in January, signing a $126 million, three-year contract after helping the Toronto Blue Jays reach the World Series last season.
Francisco Lindor led off the game with a triple to the wall in right-center and scored on Bichette’s groundout. It was the second triple in two games for Lindor, who didn't have any in 160 games last year.
Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante will face Mets RHP Kodai Senga in the second of a three-games series Tuesday.
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