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May 6 (UPI) -- The St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets split a doubleheader in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong each homered to lead the Cardinals to a Game 1 victory. The Mets used a balanced approach to win Game 2. Goldschmidt homered in the first inning to spark a 4-1 win in Game 1 Wednesday at Busch Stadium.
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The Cardinals first baseman was the third batter in the bottom of the first frame. He smacked Mets starter Marcus Stroman's first pitch, a 93-mph sinker, over the left-field fence for a 417-foot solo shot.
Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado doubled the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning. The Mets got on the board when Michael Conforto scored during a force out in the top of the fourth inning.
Stroman got into more trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning. He started the inning by striking out Dylan Carlson and Goldschmidt. Arenado then reached base on a throwing error.
DeJong hit a 2-2 slider over the left center field fence in the fourth at-bat of the inning. The 395-foot homer brought in the final two runs of the game.
Stroman allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings to drop to 3-3 this season. Cardinals starter Kwang Hyun Kim allowed two hits and one run in four innings, but did not receive a decision.
Goldschmidt and Arenado each went 2 for 3 with an RBI and run scored in the win.
The Mets used a balanced attack to win Game 2 Wednesday at Busch Stadium. Kevin Pillar, Jonathan Villar, Tomas Nido and Dominic Smith collected two hits apiece in the 7-2 triumph.
Smith scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch in the top of the second inning. Nido followed with a two-run homer to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. The 417-foot blast came on an 85.1-mph slider from Cardinals starter Johan Oviedo.
Villar added to the lead when he smacked an 87.2-mph Oviedo change-up to left field for a 397-foot solo shot in the top of the fourth inning.
The Cardinals cut into the Mets lead when Carlson plated Tyler O'Neill on an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Pillar and Villar brought in two more Mets runs with RBI singles in the top of the next inning. Pinch hitter Justin Williams brought in the Cardinals final run with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Pillar grounded into a force out in the top of the seventh inning to plate Pete Alonso for the final run of the day.
Oviedo allowed five hits and four runs in four innings to drop to 0-1 this season. Jordan Yamamoto earned his first win of the season for the Mets. He allowed four hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings.
Pillar, Villar and Nido each drove in two runs in the victory.
The Cardinals (18-13) host the Mets (12-13) in the final game of the series at 1:15 p.m. EDT Thursday at Busch Stadium. Mets starter Taijuan Walker battles fellow right-handed pitcher John Gant in the series finale.
