Cards take a Bite out of the Big Apple with 7-0 Win

Cardinals 7, Mets 0
May Dominates, Burleson Blasts Cardinals Past Mets in Series Opener
The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The St. Louis Cardinals carried their momentum from the weekend sweep of Cincinnati straight into New York on Tuesday night, opening their three-game series at Citi Field with a commanding 7-0 shutout victory over the New York Mets.

This was not a squeaker. This was not one of those ninth-inning, hold-your-breath Cardinals specials. This was a complete win — power at the plate, command on the mound, and a bullpen that finished the job without giving New York even the smallest opening.

Dustin May set the tone from the first inning and never gave it back.

The right-hander delivered one of his strongest starts of the season, working six shutout innings while allowing just four hits. He struck out six, walked only one, and kept the Mets off balance all night. May did not just survive the New York lineup — he controlled it.

For a Cardinals rotation that has leaned on steady, composed outings during this recent surge, May’s performance was exactly what St. Louis needed to open the road trip. He filled the strike zone, trusted his stuff, and gave the Cardinals six clean innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.

The offense gave him more than enough support.

Alec Burleson delivered the biggest swing of the night, blasting a three-run homer that opened up the game and gave the Cardinals firm control. Burleson has become one of the most reliable bats in this lineup, and Tuesday night was another reminder of how dangerous he can be when he gets something he can drive.

The Cardinals attacked Mets starter Freddy Peralta early and often, tagging him for six earned runs over five innings. St. Louis did not wait around for the perfect moment. They forced the issue, put pressure on the Mets’ pitching staff, and then let Burleson’s big swing turn a lead into separation.

That has been one of the better signs from this Cardinals club lately. They are not depending on one formula. They can win late. They can win with the bullpen. They can win with young bats. And Tuesday night, they won by jumping on a quality starter and riding dominant pitching the rest of the way.

After May exited, Justin Bruihl and Matt Svanson handled the final three innings to preserve the shutout. The Mets managed only five hits on the night and never found the kind of rally that could make the Cardinals uncomfortable.

For St. Louis, it was another statement win in a stretch full of them.

The Cardinals swept the Reds over the weekend at Busch Stadium, winning three very different types of games. Tuesday night in New York, they added another version — a clean, convincing shutout against a Mets club trying to find traction at home.

The Cardinals are now 35-28, and they are playing with the confidence of a team that expects to win when it shows up at the ballpark. That is a big shift from where this club was not long ago.

There is still a long season ahead, and nobody hands out trophies in June. But wins like this matter. Road wins matter. Shutouts matter. Beating teams cleanly, without drama, matters.

Tuesday night, the Cardinals did not just beat the Mets.

They handled them.

Dustin May dominated. Alec Burleson delivered the big blast. The bullpen finished the shutout.

That is a winner — and it was never really in doubt.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary:
www.cardinalchronicle.com

Photo Credit: Citi Field | ABC News