ST. LOUIS — Pete Alonso is off to a nice start in defending his NL Player of the Month title.
After receiving the honor Friday for his March/April performance, the slugging first baseman was back inflicting damage to help end the Mets’ two-game skid.
The Mets played to plenty of contact on this night, but Alonso’s fifth-inning homer provided firepower in a 9-3 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Alonso launched the go-ahead blast in helping the Mets win their ninth straight game against the Cardinals dating to last season.
It’s the Mets’ longest winning streak against their former division foe.
“It’s a long season, but it’s a good month, and I just want to keep this up and keep doing what I can to help win games,” said Alonso, who posted a 1.131 OPS in March/April to carry a lineup that was slow in getting started offensively.
On this night, there was no shortage of contributors: The Mets totaled 17 hits. Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez each had three of those hits, and Nimmo reached base five times, including a seventh-inning homer.
“[Alonso] is so deserving of that Player of the Month,” Nimmo said. “It’s just another exclamation point on all the work he did in the offseason. It seems like he’s in an amazing spot. It’s not just a flash in the pan — this is sustained success.”
Clay Holmes received the win after allowing three earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts over six innings.
The Cardinals jumped on Holmes early before he completed his outing by retiring 10 of 11 batters.
Masyn Winn delivered an RBI single in the first that put Holmes in a 1-0 hole.
Lars Nootbar doubled leading off for the Cardinals and stole third to start the rally.
Nimmo walked leading off the second against Sonny Gray and scored the Mets’ first run on Jeff McNeil’s ground out with the bases loaded.
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Alvarez’s ensuing RBI fielder’s choice gave the Mets a 2-1 lead. Jesse Winker and Mark Vientos each singled in the inning behind Nimmo’s walk to load the bases.
Alec Burleson hit a shot off Holmes’ ankle to reach on a single in the second inning.
Holmes, following a visit from manager Carlos Mendoza and the trainer, kept going and got the final two outs in the inning.
But the Cardinals tagged Holmes for four singles in the third inning to put the Mets in a 3-2 hole.
Victor Scott II singled leading off and, after reaching second on a ground out, stole third and scored on Alvarez’s errant throw.
After Winn and Brendan Donovan singled in the inning, Willson Contreras delivered a two-out RBI single.
Alonso jumped on an 0-2 changeup from Gray in the fifth inning and smashed a two-run homer to center. The blast was Alonso’s eighth this season.
Soto doubled before Alonso’s homer, which gave the first baseman 30 RBIs in 33 games.
“[Alonso’s] ability to control the strike zone is probably the best I have seen over last year and early on,” Mendoza said. “We know the power is there. We know he’s a good hitter, but when he gets in trouble, he starts chasing. I feel like now he’s taking his walk, he’s getting pitches to hit, and he’s not missing it.”
Alonso said he’s “locked in” mechanically.
“This is Year 7,” he said. “I know what I need to do to be successful.”
The Cardinals provided a gift to the Mets later in the inning.
Vientos hit what should have been an inning-ending double-play grounder, but Contreras dropped Winn’s throw, allowing Nimmo to score.
Alvarez’s RBI single widened the lead to 6-3.
Nimmo padded the Mets’ lead with a homer leading off the seventh against John King.
It was Nimmo’s third homer of the week — he hit two Monday, including a grand slam, as part of his franchise record-tying nine-RBI performance against the Nationals.
Alvarez stroked an RBI single in the inning that buried the Cardinals in an 8-3 hole. Alvarez’s third hit of the game helped the Mets score their final run on Luisangel Acuña’s sacrifice fly in the ninth.