Bruce's homer in extras sends Mets past Cardinals

[April 25, 2018]  Jay Bruce had three hits Tuesday night, including a long tie-breaking solo homer in the top of the 10th inning, as the New York Mets came back to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5, at Busch Stadium.

The Mets have alternated wins with losses in their last five games. The Cardinals had a three-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in 10 games.

Bruce, who missed the cycle by a double, gave the Mets their first lead with his two-out blast off Matt Bowman (0-1). New York trailed 2-0 and 4-1 -- Bruce laced an RBI triple in the second inning -- before tying the game on Yoenis Cespedes' three-run homer in the fifth inning. Adrian Gonzalez lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Bruce's homer made a winner out of Robert Gsellman (3-0), who wriggled out of a two-on, none-out jam in a scoreless ninth inning. Jeurys Familia earned his ninth save by striking out two in a perfect 10th inning.

Tommy Pham went 3-for-3 and gave the Cardinals an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning. Kolten Wong (double) and Luke Weaver (single) had back-to-back RBI hits in the fourth inning, and Paul DeJong gave St. Louis the lead again with a run-scoring double in the fifth.

Cardinals starting pitcher Luke Weaver (7) looks on after giving up a three run home run to New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Neither starter factored into the decision following laborious outings. The Mets' Zack Wheeler gave up four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over four innings. Weaver allowed four runs on two hits and a career-high six walks while striking out four over 4 2/3 innings. Just two of Weaver's final 17 pitches were strikes, one of which Cespedes crushed for his game-tying homer.

Former Mets ace Matt Harvey, making the second relief appearance of his career, followed Wheeler by giving up a run over two innings. Harvey was demoted to the bullpen last weekend after posting a 6.00 ERA in his first four starts.

--Field Level Media

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