3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Dominate Cardinals In Series Sweep
The New York Mets just keep on winning.
It was an Easter weekend full of joy in Queens as the Mets swept the Cardinals, becoming owners of a four-game win streak in the process.
There was a lot to love from the series against St. Louis, and we’re going to cover all the good – plus a couple of negatives – in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…
Apr 20, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
3 UP
HERO BALL
Francisco Lindor made history on Friday night. And he did it in style. The shortstop hit his 250th career homer on a walk-off to help the Mets beat the Cardinals for a second straight game. It was Lindor’s first walk-off homer as a Met. He also became just the fifth shortstop to achieve 250 career home runs in the majors. And it was a hugely productive series overall for the leader of this team. Lindor finished 7-for-18 with two home runs, four runs scored and three RBIs. He hit .389/.389.722 against St. Louis, and his early season struggles appear to be behind him.
SNAPPING THE SKID
The St. Louis series was a huge step in the right direction for both Juan Soto and Mark Vientos. Vientos ended his home run drought by hitting two long balls against the Cardinals. He finished the four-game set with three runs scored and two RBIs. As for Soto, the superstar hitter entered the series mired in a 0-for-12 skid. He broke out of that with an RBI single on Friday after receiving a standing ovation from a packed Citi Field crowd in the fifth inning. That show of love seemingly inspired Soto, who went on to contribute clutch hit after clutch hit the rest of the way. He went 2-for-3 in the finale, driving in a season-high three runs. Soto hit .385/.471/.462 against St. Louis, with five RBIs and a boatload of meaningful contributions.
MONSTER APRIL
Is anyone having a better April than Pete Alonso? The slugger has been one of the best players in all of baseball to start the year. And his red-hot start continued against the Cardinals. After being held hitless in the series opener, Alonso responded by hitting his first triple since 2023 on Friday. He also drew two walks in the second game. Then, on Saturday, Alonso hit an RBI double and a home run to seal the win and the series. He recorded another RBI single on Sunday to accentuate what has been just a torrid start. As a result of said start, Alonso is putting together one of the best Aprils by a Mets hitter we’ve ever seen. He’s also closing in on the all-time Mets home record – he’s 10 away from catching David Wright (242) and 20 away from matching Darryl Strawberry (252). Alonso has been elite to start 2025, and he was pretty damn good against the Cardinals too.
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
3 DOWN
MINOR SETBACK
Mark Vientos gave Mets fans a scare on Saturday after he left the game with groin discomfort. He also sat out Sunday’s win. It remains to be seen when the third baseman will be good to return to the lineup. The good news, however, is that the injury doesn’t appear to be that serious. But, still, Vientos was just warming up in the St. Louis series, so you hope that this doesn’t set him back.
TRANSITION STRUGGLES
It seems that Starling Marte is struggling to adapt to his new role on the team. The part-time DH failed to make an impact during the series against the Cardinals, finishing 2-for-8 with just one extra-base hit and no RBIs. As a result, he’s now hitting just .184/.273/.316 on the year. If those struggles continue, chances to play a role on this team may diminish further for Marte.
LONE NEGATIVE
There were few negatives to emerge from what was a successful weekend all-round. However, given we needed a third down, we’ll focus on the bullpen struggles on Sunday. Danny Young entered the game and put two runners on, before being replaced by José Buttó. Buttó instantly gave up a two-run double to help wipe out the Mets’ lead. Thankfully, the offense was able to respond and help complete the sweep. However, Buttó has now allowed four earned runs and three walks in his last five outings, while Young has a 5.40 ERA on the year. Again, the bullpen struggles on Sunday were the only real negative of what was otherwise a stellar weekend for the Mets.
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