Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Final Score: St. Louis 1 - NY Mets 9

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Johan Santana hurled his first complete game as a member of the Mets and the New York bats backed the effort in a 9-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Santana (9-7) surrendered only a solo home run to Albert Pujols, one of six St. Louis hits, while striking out five and walking one. It was only Santana's second win in his last 10 starts. New York has now won four of its last five overall to remain on top in the tight NL East.

"I'm just doing my job," Santana said. "I was trying to help pick the bullpen up. They had a rough game last night. It was the right time to do something like that. We wanted to win the series. That's the most important thing. We're professionals. We know exactly what we need to do."

David Wright, Fernando Tatis and Ramon Castro each had a home run and two RBI while Santana helped himself with a 2-for-4 day, including an RBI single.

Pujols had two hits for St. Louis, which had snapped a five-game losing streak with an extra-inning victory Saturday.

"He and Sabathia are two lefties as good as they get," Cardinals infielder Brendan Ryan said of Santana while comparing him to the Brewers' CC Sabathia. "It's fun facing guys like that, the way they're throwing. He had his stuff working today."

Kyle Lohse (12-3) tied a season-high with seven runs allowed on 11 hits in five-plus innings. Lohse had won his last nine decisions and was unbeaten in his last 14 starts. The surprise right-hander had allowed three or fewer earned runs in five straight starts, prior to Sunday's thumping.

"It was just one of those days where you have to battle through and unfortunately I wasn't able to do that," Lohse said. "I tried to battle as best I could. I just didn't have good stuff."

New York jumped out to a lead in the third. Jose Reyes doubled to right leading off and moved to third on a bunt single from Endy Chavez. Chavez then moved into scoring position with a swipe of second. A Carlos Delgado sac fly preceded Carlos Beltran's RBI single to right and the Mets were up 2-0.

Wright extended New York's lead in the fifth with a two-out, solo shot to left.

The Mets used a five-run sixth to pull away. Beltran singled back through the middle and Tatis smacked a two-run homer to left. Damion Easley reached base on an infield dribbler and Castro followed with a two-run homer of his own, bringing an end to Lohse's afternoon.

Randy Flores entered but didn't fare much better, allowing a single to Santana and then a double to Reyes, moving both runners into scoring position. Chavez recorded the first out of the inning with a pop-up before Wright laced an RBI single to left. Reyes was gunned down by left fielder Joe Mather while trying to score and Beltran, who led off the inning, recorded the final out.

Ryan Ludwick led off the seventh with a deep drive to center that Beltran pulled back from over the fence, robbing Ludwick of a home run. Pujols followed by putting an end to Santana's shutout bid with a solo home run to left-center. An RBI single from Santana in the home half capped a nine-run effort for the Mets.

"That was one of the best catches I ever made," Beltran said.