PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) _ Al Leiter pitched five shutout innings, and Edgardo Alfonzo and Derek Bell hit consecutive first-inning homers Monday, leading the New York Mets over the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2.

Leiter, who won for the second time in three decisions this spring, allowed two hits _ doubles by Adam Kennedy and former-Met Shawon Dunston _ walked three and struck out two. Leiter also picked off two runners.

``The hardest thing for us to do is to pretend like it is an actual, meaningful, big-league ballgame, in a big-league city, with a big league crowd,'' Leiter said. ``That is the hardest thing for me over the last several years when I knew I had already made the club.''

Alfonzo hit his third homer of the spring and Bell his second, connecting off loser Luther Hackman.

Bell hit a sacrifice fly in the third, and Domingo Cedeno made it 6-0 with a three-run double in the sixth off Chad Hutchinson.

``Derek Bell had a couple of nice swings and it looks like he's getting untracked,'' Mets manager Bobby Valentine said of Bell, who entered the game hitting .133.

St. Louis scored twice in the ninth after a throwing error by first baseman Garth Brooks, who misplayed Rick Wilkins' sinking liner, allowing a run to score. Brooks also struck out, dropping him to 0-for-9 this spring.

New York outfielder Melvin Mora left in the third inning after being hit by a pitch for the second time. Mora, who entered hitting .389 this spring, was hit in the ribs and the left shoulder.

``I can't move my shoulder right now,'' Mora said after being hit by Gene Stechschulte in the third inning. ``The ball hit me in the muscle; it was coming straight for my head.''

Notes: New York signed RHP Rene Arocha to a minor league contract. Arocha, 34, played with the Yucatan Lions and Monterrey Sultans in the Mexican League last year, going 1-7 with a 4.55 ERA in 12 games. Arocha pitched for St. Louis from 1993-95 and San Francisco in 1997. Arocha was 18-17 with 11 saves and a 4.11 ERA in 124 major league games. ... The Mets optioned nine players Monday. Pitchers Grant Roberts, Paul Wilson, Eric Cammack and Lariel Gonzalez were sent to Triple-A Norfolk, and pitchers Lesli Brea, Dicky Gonzalez were optional to Double-A Birmingham along with outfielders Alex Escobar and Juan Lebron. New York also sent pitchers Jim Baron, Brian Shouse, catchers Alan Probst, Jason Phillips and infielder Orlando Miller to its minor league camp.