Wainwright wins 5th straight as Cards deck Mets 7-0

NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Wainwright won his fifth straight start in a rare matchup of 40-year-old pitchers, and the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the New York Mets 7-0 on Monday night.

Paul Goldschmidt homered and had two RBIs for the surging Cardinals, who began the day one game behind Cincinnati and San Diego for the second NL wild card.

New York entered three games behind the Reds and Padres.

The 40-year-old Wainwright, a thorn in the Mets’ side since he saved Game 7 of the 2006 NL Championship Series by striking out Carlos Beltran with the bases loaded, allowed four hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out four as he outdueled 41-year-old New York starter Rich Hill.

Wainwright (16-7) had just one 1-2-3 inning but worked out of trouble by stranding seven runners, including the bases loaded in the first. New York left runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth.

Wainwright is 9-2 with a 2.02 ERA in his last 12 starts, a span in which he’s gone at least six innings every time.

Dylan Carlson laced an RBI double in the second and Goldschmidt delivered a run-scoring single in the third before homering leading off the fifth.

The Mets threatened against Alex Reyes in the eighth, when Francisco Lindor walked and Michael Conforto singled before Reyes struck out the next three batters.

Nolan Arenado, Yadier Molina, Edmundo Sosa and Harrison Bader all had RBI singles in the ninth.

Hill (6-7) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings.

BETTER WITH AGE

It was the first time starting pitchers age 40 or older opposed one another since June 18, 2015, when 40-year-old R.A. Dickey started for Toronto against the Mets and 42-year-old Bartolo Colon.

Wainwright turned 40 on Aug. 30 while Hill, the oldest pitcher in the majors, turned...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Wainwright-wins-5th-straight-as-Cards-deck-Mets-16456682.php