Manaea pitches scoreless ball in 2nd straight start, Mets beat Cardinals 6-0 in makeup game

ST. LOUIS -- — Sean Manaea won consecutive starts for the first time this season, Tyrone Taylor hit a three-run double from the No. 2 slot in the batting order and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 Monday in the makeup of a May 8 rainout.

“We went out and battled and did a good job,” Taylor said. “That was cool, hitting second.”

Manaea (8-4) allowed six hits in seven innings, struck out 10 and walked none. He has pitched 14 scoreless innings in his last two starts, giving up eight hits, striking out 21 and walking one.

“I'm getting ahead of guys,” Manaea said. “I'm using my fastball and my sweeper. My sweeper has been good. I'm gaining more confidence in the sweeper.”

New York has won eight of his last 10 starts.

“He had complete control of the game,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "With the fastball and sweeper, he was attacking hitters and getting ahead.”

Ryne Stanek and Edwin Díaz finished with hitless relief in the Mets’ fourth shutout -- all from July 11 on.

New York (59-53) won the season series 4-2 and holds the tiebreak advantage over the Cardinals should it be needed to determine a wild-card berth or postseason homefield advantage. The Mets are 10-7 since the All-Star break.

Jeff McNeil hit his 10th home run for New York, his sixth since the start of July.

St. Louis (57-56) has lost four of five and has dropped 16 of its last 24 games against left-handed starters. It was the fourth time the Cardinals have been shut out this season, all on getaway day games.

Andre Pallante (4-6) gave up five runs, five hits wand two wild pitches in 4 2/3 innings. He entered with a 0.93 in seven career relief appearances against the Mets.

“I didn't have a great feel for my curveball today,” Pallante said. “That's my best putaway pitch and not having that hurt me a lot.”

Pete Alonso walked and scored on a wild pitch in the second inning.

Former Cardinal Harrison Bader was given an ovation before his first at-bat and hit an RBI double in a four-run fifth that included a double into the right-field corner by Taylor, who was moved ahead of Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso in the batting order.

“I came here last year as a Yankee. To see everybody stand up there, it really does mean the world to me," Bader said. "There's so much love in this city. This is a cathedral to play in especially when you're in center field. It makes me very emotional.”

McNeill homered in the sixth off Shawn Armstrong, acquired from Tampa Bay on July 30 for outfielder Dylan Carlson. Nine of his 10 homers have come on the road.

TRAINERS ROOM

Mets: 3B Mark Vientos did not play, a day after he fouled a ball off his right ankle at the Los Angeles Angels.

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (right knee strain) played catch before the game afrer three days of no activity.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Luis Severino (7-4, 3.93) starts Tuesday night's opener at Colorado, which goes with LHP Kyle Freeland (3-4, 5.64). Severino has never faced the Rockies.

Cardinals: RHP Sonny Gray (10-6, 3.72) will be on the mound for the start of a three-game series against visiting Tampa Bay and LHP Jeffrey Springs (0-0, 4.91). Gray has struck out 26 over his last three starts.

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