Mets Stumble at Home, Suffer 7-0 Defeat to Cardinals

The New York Mets' homestand kicked off on an unfortunate note as they were blanked 7-0 by the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. The Mets' struggles were largely attributed to a rough outing from Freddy Peralta, who allowed six runs, four of which came in a single challenging inning.

After a quiet first inning for both sides, the Mets saw their first baserunner in the second when AJ Ewing hit a one-out double. Ewing proved to be the lone bright spot for the Mets, recording multiple hits during the game. However, a passed ball from rookie catcher Jimmy Crooks allowed Ewing to reach third base, but the opportunity fizzled as Dustin May struck out Marcus Semien and Brett Baty in succession.

The game turned in the third inning, where Peralta struggled significantly. Following a lead-off walk to Nolan Gorman, Nathan Church's double put two runners in scoring position. Rookie JJ Wetherholt then delivered a two-RBI single, putting the Cardinals ahead. Peralta’s troubles continued as he hit Iván Herrera with a pitch and allowed a double to Jordan Walker, extending the Cardinals' lead to 3-0. A groundout by Lars Nootbaar led to Herrera scoring, making it 4-0.

The Mets showed signs of life with at least one runner on base in the next two innings but failed to convert any scoring chances. Francisco Alvarez, returning from injury, singled in the third but was quickly erased on a double play. Juan Soto ended an 0-for-16 slump with a single in the fourth, but the Mets could not capitalize as good defensive plays by the Cardinals thwarted their efforts.

In the fifth, the Cardinals added to their lead when Iván Herrera's single set the stage for Alec Burleson's two-run homer, pushing the score to 6-0. The Mets' pitching woes continued in the seventh as Herrera and Burleson added another run with back-to-back doubles. Although Joey Gerber was slated to finish the game for the Mets, he exited in the ninth with what appeared to be a blister, leaving Cionel Pérez to close out the game without allowing further runs. The loss marked the Mets' fourth shutout of the season.