Bartolo Colon pitched three-hit ball for seven sharp innings and the New York Mets overcame another home run by Jedd Gyorko to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 Tuesday night for a doubleheader split.
Gyorko homered in both ends and has connected seven times in nine games. His two-run shot helped St. Louis win the opener 3-2.
Colon (9-5) struck out eight and walked none. After Gyorko homered in the second and Alberto Rosario doubled in the third, Colon set down 14 of his final 15 batters.
Addison Reed worked the eighth and Jeurys Familia closed for his 36th save this year and 52nd in a row during the regular season.
Asdrubal Cabrera ended his 0-for-32 rut with runners in scoring position with an RBI double and added a sacrifice fly off Jaime Garcia (7-7). Wilmer Flores doubled and singled twice, and manager Terry Collins helped, too, winning his third replay challenge of the day.
The Mets have alternated wins and losses for the last 12 games. They returned to Citi Field for the first time since the All-Star break, facing their fellow NL wild-card contenders.
A rainout Monday forced the first doubleheader between the Mets and Cardinals since 1999.
Local
Gyorko hit his 14th homer for an early edge in the nightcap. The Cardinals lead the NL with 138 home runs, one more than last year's total.
St. Louis has homered in 17 straight games, its best streak since a team-record string of 19 games in 2006.
Cabrera tied it with a double in the third, and the Mets took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on a double by Flores, a dropped flyball by right fielder Randal Grichuk and a double-play grounder.
Juan Lagares beat out an infield hit in the fifth, with Collins winning a challenge, and that set up Cabrera's sacrifice fly.
In the opener, Gyorko homered off Noah Syndergaard (9-5) for a 3-0 lead in the third.
Carlos Martinez (10-6) gave up a two-run homer to Rene Rivera and left after the fifth inning. Three relievers finished, with Seung Hwan Oh getting his fifth save in six chances.
26TH MAN
The Cardinals recalled RHP Sam Tuivailala as the 26th player for the second game. He pitched a scoreless inning. The Mets brought up 27-year-old lefty Josh Smoker — he's made 43 relief appearance for Triple-A Las Vegas, and has never been in the majors. He didn't get into the game.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (9-5, 4.09) is 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA in four July starts.
Mets: RHP Logan Verrett (3-6, 4.14) starts Wednesday night vs. St. Louis. No one on the Cardinals' active roster has batted against him.
