Mets top Cardinals 4-2 at Busch Stadium as sixth-inning rally decides March 30 opener

Game result

The New York Mets opened a three-game series in St. Louis with a 4-2 win over the Cardinals on Monday night, March 30, 2026, at Busch Stadium. New York finished with 10 hits and no errors, while St. Louis had five hits and no errors.

How the scoring unfolded

New York scored first in the top of the first inning, pushing across a run on a groundout with two outs. St. Louis answered immediately in the bottom of the first, tying the game on an RBI single that brought home the Cardinals’ first run of the night.

The game stayed level through the middle innings as both starters limited damage despite traffic on the bases. New York moved back in front in the fifth inning with a two-out RBI single to take a 2-1 lead.

The decisive sequence came in the sixth. The Mets added a run early in the inning on an RBI double to extend the lead to 3-1. Later in the frame, with the bases loaded and two outs, the Cardinals issued a walk that forced in another run, making it 4-1 without a ball put in play.

St. Louis cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run from Nolan Gorman, narrowing the score to 4-2. That would be the final, as neither team scored over the last three innings.

Pitching summary

Mets starter Clay Holmes earned the win in his season debut, working into the sixth inning before turning the game over to the bullpen. Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy took the loss after allowing four runs across five innings, with New York consistently reaching base and doing its most productive work with two outs in the fifth and during the multi-run sixth.

From there, New York’s relievers combined to cover the remaining outs and protected the two-run advantage. St. Louis’ bullpen limited further scoring after the sixth-inning walk forced in a run, keeping the game within reach but without an offensive breakthrough late.

Notable hitters

• New York generated steady on-base pressure, including multiple walks, and used situational hitting to convert opportunities.
• Juan Soto drove in a run and reached base three times via two walks and an RBI.
• Gorman accounted for a key St. Louis moment with his second home run of the season, providing the Cardinals’ final run.

Final: Mets 4, Cardinals 2 — New York’s sixth-inning surge, including a bases-loaded walk, provided the separation.

What it means for the series

The opener underscored a familiar early-season theme: one extended inning can decide a tightly played game. The clubs continue the series Tuesday night, March 31, with St. Louis looking to even the set and New York aiming to build on a win driven by timely hitting and late-inning run prevention.