Cardinals Drop Series Opener to Mets 4-2

St. Louis falls back to .500 as Mets take the first game of the series at Busch Stadium.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 4:46pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, with the players and field broken down into overlapping planes of vibrant red, blue, and orange colors.The Cardinals' loss to the Mets exposes the team's need to find more offensive firepower to keep pace in the competitive NL Central.NYC Today

The St. Louis Cardinals lost the series opener against the New York Mets 4-2 on Monday, March 30th at Busch Stadium. The Mets jumped out to an early lead, scoring runs in the first and fifth innings before adding two more in the sixth. The Cardinals were able to pull one back in the sixth, but could not complete the comeback.

Why it matters

The loss drops the Cardinals back to a .500 record on the young season, while the Mets improve to 3-1. This early-season matchup between two National League contenders could have implications for playoff positioning later in the year.

The details

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor scored the first run of the game on a groundout by Bo Bichette in the top of the first. The Cardinals answered in the bottom half when Alec Burleson singled home JJ Wetherholt to tie it up. Bichette put the Mets back on top with an RBI single in the fifth, and Jared Young's double in the sixth made it 4-1 Mets. Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy took the loss, going 5.1 innings and allowing four runs on eight hits. Nolan Gorman hit a solo home run in the sixth to pull the Cardinals within two, but they could not mount a full comeback.

  • The game was played on Monday, March 30, 2026.
  • First pitch was at 6:45 p.m. local time.

The players

Bo Bichette

Mets shortstop who drove in the first run of the game with a groundout.

Francisco Lindor

Mets shortstop who scored the first run of the game.

Alec Burleson

Cardinals outfielder who drove in the tying run with a single in the first inning.

Kyle Leahy

Cardinals starting pitcher who took the loss, going 5.1 innings and allowing four runs.

Nolan Gorman

Cardinals infielder who hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to pull the team within two runs.

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What they’re saying

“We just couldn't get the big hit when we needed it. Tip your cap to the Mets, they played a good game and took advantage of their opportunities.”

— Oliver Marmol, Cardinals Manager

What’s next

The Cardinals will look to even the series on Tuesday night when they send Andre Pallante to the mound against the Mets' Kodai Senga. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. local time.

The takeaway

This early-season loss drops the Cardinals back to .500, but there is still plenty of time for them to make up ground in the NL Central race. The team will need to find more offensive production if they hope to keep pace with the Mets and other top contenders in the National League.