Kelly delivers, Cardinals defeat Mets 5-4

[September 04, 2012]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Rookie Joe Kelly pitched 6 2-3 effective innings and also doubled, and the St. Louis Cardinals took advantage of a baserunning mistake to beat the New York Mets 5-4 Monday.

Andres Torres led off the Mets ninth with an apparent double, but was called out by first base umpire Dave Rackley on an appeal for missing first base.

Kelly (5-6) allowed five hits and two runs. He made his second start after a brief stint in the bullpen, and turned in his longest outing of the season.

Edward Mujica got the last out of the seventh, giving him 16 straight scoreless appearances since coming over from Miami at the trade deadline. Jason Motte recorded five outs for his 33rd save in 38 chances.

Skip Schumaker hit a solo homer and Matt Carpenter drove in two runs for the NL wild card-leading Cardinals. Yadier Molina and Allen Craig added RBI singles and Kelly scored a run.

Daniel Murphy and Kelly Shoppach hit two-run homers for New York, which had won three straight and seven of eight.

Collin McHugh (0-1), recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to make the start, lasted just four innings and gave up four runs.

McHugh blanked the Colorado Rockies for seven innings Aug. 23 in his major league debut.

It took the Cardinals just two batters to give McHugh an ERA. Jon Jay led off with a triple into the left-field corner and Carpenter followed with an RBI groundout.

The Cardinals got two more in the third and Schumaker's first home run leading off the fourth made it 4-0.

Kelly had retired 10 batters in a row before walking Mike Baxter and then allowing Shoppach's homer in the seventh.

New York closed within a run on Murphy's homer off reliever Mitchell Boggs in the eighth. The Mets had the tying run at second with one out later in the inning when Motte got Scott Hairston on a soft liner and struck out Shoppach.

NOTES: Jamie Garcia (3-6) will oppose Mets rookie Matt Harvey (3-3) in the second game of the three-game set. ... Carlos Beltran, who endured a 5-for-35 road trip (.143) and is battling a sore knee, was out of the St. Louis starting lineup. ... Murphy went 2 for 4, giving him an NL-leading .344 average in day games.

[Associated Press]

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