Michael Wacha earned his first major league win after struggling through the first inning. Wacha got through six innings and was backed by an Allen Craig home run as the Cardinals beat the Mets, 9-2.
Wacha walked three in the first inning after giving up a home run to Omar Quintanilla, the second hitter of the game for the Mets. However, New York only managed one more run that inning, a 37-pitch inning for Wacha. The Mets didn’t score the rest of the night as Wacha settled down after the wild first.
“I just didn’t have any command over my pitches,” Wacha said. “After I got out of the first I just told myself, just flush it out and go out and attack the hitters the next couple of innings.”
Down 2-1 in the fifth, the Cardinals bats got going against Mets starter Jeremy Hefner who allowed six runs, but only one earned. After Jon Jay reached on a throwing error, Pete Kozma doubled and Wacha grounded out scoring Jay, tying the game 2-2. Yadier Molina grounded out to score Kozma after Matt Carpenter walked. An infield single by Matt Holliday set the stage for Craig’s fifth homer of the year, a three run shot to left-center field.
The Cardinals tacked on two more in the seventh and Shane Robinson homered in the ninth.
David Freese extended his hitting streak to 20 games, longest in the majors,