Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals Match Player Stats

The mets vs st. louis cardinals match player stats from the April 1, 2026 matchup tell the story of a tightly contested game that required 11 innings to decide. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the New York Mets 2-1 at Busch Stadium, despite both teams finishing with five hits. New York produced the only home run of the game through Juan Soto, while St. Louis ultimately won on an 11th-inning infield single by Masyn Winn. The game featured strong starting pitching, limited offensive production, and several important moments that are easy to miss when looking only at the final score.

The matchup was the third game of the series, and St. Louis finished the series with a 2-1 advantage. Both teams had opportunities to score throughout the contest, but neither lineup was able to consistently convert those opportunities. New York went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, while St. Louis went 2-for-14. Those numbers provide an important explanation for why a game with 72 total at-bats produced only three runs.

Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals Match Player Stats: Game Overview

The April 1 contest was played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. The official attendance was 21,684, and the game lasted 3 hours and 11 minutes.

Category	New York Mets	St. Louis Cardinals
Final Score	1	2
Runs	1	2
Hits	5	5
Errors	0	2
Home Runs	1	0
Walks	4	4
Strikeouts	6	13
Runners Left on Base	11	8
Runners in Scoring Position	0-for-11	2-for-14
At-Bats	38	36
Innings	10.2	11.0

The most striking feature of the box score is how evenly matched the teams were in several basic categories.

Both teams collected five hits and four walks. New York committed no errors, while St. Louis made two defensive errors. The Mets also struck out significantly fewer times, with six compared with 13 for the Cardinals.

Yet those advantages did not translate into a victory.

The difference came largely from situational hitting and the ability to produce one additional run in extra innings.

How the Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals Game Was Decided

The game remained close because neither offense generated sustained production.

St. Louis scored first in the sixth inning. Nolan Gorman singled to center field, allowing Wetherholt to score while Herrera advanced to third.

New York answered in the same inning when Juan Soto hit a home run to right field. The homer traveled 344 feet and tied the game at 1-1.

From there, both pitching staffs kept the opposing lineup off the scoreboard.

The game eventually moved into the 11th inning, where St. Louis found the deciding run. Masyn Winn reached on an infield single to second, allowing Wetherholt to score.

That gave the Cardinals a 2-1 victory.

The final inning illustrates why extra-inning baseball can be determined by a single well-executed play. Neither team had produced much offense over the previous several innings, but St. Louis found enough contact to create the winning opportunity.

Mets Batting Performance

The Mets finished with 38 at-bats, five hits, one run, one RBI, one home run and four walks.

Their biggest offensive moment came from Juan Soto.

Juan Soto’s Home Run

Soto accounted for the Mets’ only home run and only RBI of the game.

His sixth-inning home run to right field traveled 344 feet and tied the score at 1-1. In a game where offensive opportunities were limited, one swing supplied almost all of New York’s scoring production.

The importance of Soto’s home run becomes even clearer when viewed alongside the team’s overall numbers.

The Mets had only five hits and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. That means the lineup created opportunities but could not turn those opportunities into runs.

Soto’s home run therefore represented a different type of offensive production. Instead of requiring multiple hits or a successful hit with runners already aboard, the home run created the run independently.

Mets Offensive Efficiency

The Mets left 11 runners on base.

That figure is particularly important because it helps explain the difference between the team’s five-hit total and its one-run total.

A lineup can collect several hits and still struggle to score if those hits do not arrive in productive sequences. New York’s 0-for-11 performance with runners in scoring position is the clearest example from this game.

The Mets also received four walks, meaning the offense had additional opportunities to put runners on base.

However, those opportunities did not become enough scoring.

For anyone analyzing individual batting performance, this is an important distinction. A player’s basic hit total does not necessarily show how effectively an entire lineup converted opportunities. Team context matters.

Cardinals Batting Performance

St. Louis also finished with five hits, but the Cardinals converted their opportunities more effectively.

The team produced two runs and two RBIs while going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

That is still not an especially high conversion rate, but it was enough in a game where the Mets scored only once.

Nolan Gorman’s RBI

Nolan Gorman provided the Cardinals’ first RBI.

His sixth-inning single to center field brought Wetherholt home and put St. Louis ahead 1-0.

The hit was especially important because it came before Soto’s home run. For a short period, the Cardinals had the lead and appeared to have established control of a low-scoring contest.

New York immediately responded, however, which sent the game back to a tie.

Masyn Winn’s Game-Winning Hit

The decisive offensive play came from Masyn Winn in the 11th inning.

Winn reached on an infield single to second, and Wetherholt scored the winning run.

Winn also recorded a stolen base earlier in the game, adding another element to the Cardinals’ offensive activity.

His winning hit did not come in the form of a home run or extra-base hit. Instead, it was a simple infield single that produced the run the Cardinals needed.

That is an important feature of close baseball games. The decisive play does not always come from the player with the most impressive offensive statistics.

Starting Pitching Comparison

The starting pitchers delivered nearly identical game scores of 63, according to the supplied box-score data.

For New York, Freddy Peralta pitched 5.1 innings.

For St. Louis, Matthew Liberatore completed 6.0 innings.

Starting Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	Game Score
F. Peralta	5.1	3	1	1	2	7	63
M. Liberatore	6.0	3	1	1	1	2	63

The two pitchers reached the same game score through different statistical profiles.

Freddy Peralta

Peralta worked 5.1 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. He issued two walks and struck out seven.

The seven strikeouts were the highest total among the two starting pitchers.

His performance limited St. Louis to one earned run and three hits over more than five innings. The two walks created additional traffic, but the strikeout total helped him escape several potentially dangerous situations.

Matthew Liberatore

Liberatore pitched six full innings and also allowed three hits and one earned run.

He walked only one batter and struck out two.

His performance was less dependent on strikeouts than Peralta’s. Instead, Liberatore limited baserunners and completed six innings while allowing only one earned run.

The matching game scores demonstrate why looking at strikeouts alone can be misleading.

Peralta had a clear advantage in strikeouts, but Liberatore worked longer and issued fewer walks. Both finished with the same game score of 63.

Mets Bullpen Performance

After Peralta left the game, New York used several relievers.

The pitching staff included:

• Freddy Peralta
• Huascar Brazoban
• Brooks Raley
• Luke Weaver
• Devin Williams
• Tobias Myers

Collectively, the Mets pitching staff recorded 10.2 innings, five hits allowed, two runs, one earned run, four walks and 13 strikeouts.

The most important detail is that only one of the two runs charged to the Mets pitching staff was earned.

That means the staff generally prevented St. Louis from producing clean offensive innings.

The Mets also allowed no home runs.

The pitching performance therefore kept New York within one run throughout the contest and gave the offense opportunities to take the lead.

Cardinals Pitching Performance

The Cardinals pitching staff completed all 11 innings.

Their pitchers were:

• Matthew Liberatore
• Ryan Stanek
• JoJo Romero
• Ryan O’Brien
• John Bruihl
• Chris Roycroft
• G. Graceffo

As a group, they allowed five hits, one run, four walks and one home run.

The staff recorded six strikeouts.

Although the Cardinals did not produce as many strikeouts as the Mets, they still held New York to one run across 11 innings.

That is the central pitching statistic from the game.

G. Graceffo Earns the Win

1. Graceffo received the win and moved to 1-0.

His line was:

• 0.2 innings
• 0 hits
• 0 earned runs
• 0 walks
• 0 strikeouts

This is an excellent example of why a winning pitcher does not necessarily need a large strikeout total or several innings pitched.

Graceffo entered a game that was already extremely close, recorded two outs without allowing a hit or run, and was credited with the victory after St. Louis scored in the bottom of the 11th.

Tobias Myers Takes the Loss

Tobias Myers was charged with the loss and moved to 0-1.

His line:

• 1.2 innings
• 1 hit
• 0 earned runs
• 1 strikeout
• 1 walk

Myers did not allow an earned run.

The deciding run came on Winn’s infield single, but the run was enough to determine the official result.

This distinction matters when evaluating the pitcher’s individual performance. A pitcher can receive a loss without allowing an earned run.

Situational Hitting Was the Biggest Difference

The overall offensive numbers were almost identical.

Both teams had five hits.

Both teams had four walks.

Neither team produced a high number of runs.

The major difference was what happened when runners were in scoring position.

New York went 0-for-11.

St. Louis went 2-for-14.

The Cardinals therefore produced two successful hits in scoring situations, while New York produced none.

That does not mean the Cardinals dominated offensively. Their 2-for-14 result shows that they also struggled to capitalize consistently.

Instead, the numbers show that St. Louis managed to convert just enough opportunities to win a game in which the overall offensive production was extremely limited.

Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals Match Player Stats and RISP

Runners in scoring position statistics are particularly useful in a game like this because the final score was so low.

New York had 11 opportunities represented by its 0-for-11 RISP line but did not record a successful hit in those situations.

St. Louis had 14 RISP opportunities and converted two of them.

The difference was only two successful hits, but those two hits accounted for the Cardinals’ two runs.

This is a useful reminder that baseball scoring is highly dependent on timing.

A team can finish with the same number of total hits as its opponent and still lose because the hits occur in different situations.

The Mets’ five hits were not enough to overcome the lack of successful hitting with runners in scoring position.

Errors and Defensive Context

The Mets committed zero errors.

The Cardinals committed two.

The St. Louis errors were charged to Nolan Gorman for a fielding error and Pedro Pagés for catcher’s interference.

Despite those mistakes, the Cardinals avoided allowing them to determine the outcome.

This is another reason the final result cannot be understood by looking at only one statistic.

The Mets were cleaner defensively, but St. Louis still scored twice and held New York to one run.

The Cardinals’ pitching staff ultimately neutralized the additional opportunities created by their defensive mistakes.

Strikeout Comparison

The strikeout totals were heavily tilted toward the Mets pitching staff.

New York pitchers recorded 13 strikeouts.

St. Louis pitchers recorded six.

Pitching Category	Mets	Cardinals
Strikeouts	13	6
Walks	4	4
Hits Allowed	5	5
Runs Allowed	2	1
Home Runs Allowed	0	1

This creates an interesting contrast.

The Mets pitching staff generated more than twice as many strikeouts as the Cardinals staff, yet New York lost the game.

The reason is that strikeouts are only one part of run prevention.

St. Louis limited New York to five hits and one run despite striking out only six batters. The Cardinals therefore relied less on strikeouts while still preventing scoring.

Meanwhile, the Mets pitching staff produced 13 strikeouts but allowed the one run that mattered in the 11th inning.

The Importance of Juan Soto’s Home Run

Soto’s home run deserves special attention because it was the only home run hit by either team.

The shot came in the sixth inning and traveled 344 feet to right field.

It tied the game at 1-1.

Without the home run, the Cardinals would have held the lead after their sixth-inning scoring play. Soto immediately erased that advantage with one swing.

This illustrates the value of isolated power in a low-scoring game.

A home run does not require a sequence of successful hits. It can instantly change the scoreboard.

However, the Mets ultimately needed another offensive contribution after Soto’s home run. They did not get it, and the game remained tied until the 11th.

Extra Innings Changed the Game

The game entered extra innings tied 1-1.

At that point, every baserunner became more important because a single successful offensive sequence could end the contest.

The Cardinals eventually created that sequence.

Winn’s infield single in the 11th allowed Wetherholt to score, producing the winning run.

The Mets did not answer in the bottom half of the inning.

The final result was therefore 2-1 in favor of St. Louis.

For statistical analysis, extra-inning games should be treated differently from ordinary nine-inning contests because bullpen usage, defensive positioning and individual opportunities can change considerably after regulation.

What the Box Score Says About the Mets

The Mets’ statistical profile shows a team that received solid pitching but struggled to convert offensive opportunities.

The positive indicators included:

• Five total hits
• Four walks
• Only six strikeouts
• Zero defensive errors
• Thirteen pitching strikeouts
• Only one earned run allowed by the pitching staff

The major offensive concern shown by the box score was situational production.

The Mets went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

The team therefore created opportunities but did not convert enough of them.

The one-run total is consistent with that pattern.

What the Box Score Says About the Cardinals

St. Louis also had an uneven statistical profile.

The Cardinals struck out 13 times, committed two errors and recorded only five hits.

At the same time, they:

• Scored two runs
• Went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position
• Held New York to one run
• Received six innings from their starter
• Used their bullpen to complete the game
• Produced the decisive run in the 11th inning

The Cardinals did not need a high-volume offensive performance.

They needed only one more run than New York.

That came from Winn’s extra-inning single.

Series Context

The Cardinals won the series 2-1.

The supplied series results were:

Game	Result
Series Game 1	Mets 4, Cardinals 2
Series Game 2	Mets 0, Cardinals 3
Series Game 3	Mets 1, Cardinals 2

The series therefore featured a different winner in each of the first two games before St. Louis secured the series with the extra-inning victory.

The third game was particularly close because neither offense separated itself statistically.

Across the deciding game, both teams finished with five hits, but St. Louis scored one additional run.

Key Player Performances at a Glance

Several players stand out from the box score for different reasons.

Mets

Juan Soto: 1 home run and 1 RBI, providing the Mets’ only run.

Freddy Peralta: 5.1 innings, three hits allowed, one earned run and seven strikeouts.

Tobias Myers: 1.2 innings, one hit allowed, no earned runs and one strikeout, but charged with the loss.

Cardinals

Nolan Gorman: Produced an RBI with his sixth-inning single.

Masyn Winn: Recorded the game-winning RBI in the 11th inning and also stole a base.

Matthew Liberatore: Six innings, three hits allowed, one earned run and one walk.

1. Graceffo: Recorded the win after 0.2 scoreless innings.

These performances demonstrate that the most statistically important player is not always the player with the most total hits.

Soto supplied the Mets’ only RBI, but Winn supplied the decisive RBI.

Peralta recorded seven strikeouts, while Liberatore lasted longer and issued fewer walks.

A Deeper Look at the 2-1 Final Score

A 2-1 baseball game can sometimes suggest dominant pitching, but this game was more accurately defined by a combination of pitching quality and missed offensive opportunities.

The Mets and Cardinals each recorded five hits.

Each team walked four times.

The Mets struck out only six times as a lineup, while the Cardinals struck out 13 times.

Despite these similarities, St. Louis scored twice.

The most important statistical difference was not total hits. It was conversion.

The Mets went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

The Cardinals went 2-for-14.

Although neither percentage was strong, St. Louis’s two successful RISP hits produced enough scoring to win.

Why Total Hits Do Not Tell the Whole Story

Looking at only the hit column might lead to the assumption that the game was perfectly even.

It was even in total hits.

It was not even in scoring.

That distinction is central to understanding baseball statistics.

A single with nobody on base and a single that brings a runner home are both recorded as one hit. The basic hit statistic does not capture the difference in immediate scoring value.

The April 1 game provides a clear example.

Both teams had five hits, but the Cardinals’ hits were enough to produce two runs, while the Mets’ hits and walks produced only one.

How to Read These Player Statistics Correctly

When reviewing a close baseball game, it helps to examine several layers of information rather than one headline number.

Start With the Score

The Cardinals won 2-1 in 11 innings.

This establishes the basic result.

Compare Hits

Both teams had five.

This shows that neither lineup had a major advantage in total base hits.

Examine Walks

Both teams had four.

Again, there was no meaningful difference in free baserunners created through walks.

Check Home Runs

The Mets had one and the Cardinals had none.

Soto’s home run was the game’s only long ball.

Examine RISP

This is where the offensive contrast becomes more useful.

The Mets were 0-for-11.

The Cardinals were 2-for-14.

Review Pitching

Both starting pitchers allowed one earned run.

Peralta recorded seven strikeouts, while Liberatore completed six innings.

Look at the Deciding Play

Winn’s 11th-inning infield single produced the winning run.

Taken together, these statistics provide a much more complete explanation than the final score alone.

Common Mistakes When Comparing MLB Player Stats

A common mistake is to judge an individual performance entirely by whether the player’s team won.

That approach can hide important details.

For example, Myers received the loss despite allowing no earned runs. Similarly, Peralta’s seven strikeouts were impressive, but the Mets still lost.

Another mistake is treating RBI totals as a complete measurement of offensive quality.

An RBI depends partly on the situations created by teammates. A player cannot record an RBI if there is no runner available to drive home.

The same principle applies to wins and losses for pitchers.

Pitcher decisions are influenced by the timing of runs and the team’s overall performance, not simply by how many runs the pitcher personally allows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Mets vs. Cardinals game on April 1, 2026?

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the New York Mets 2-1 in 11 innings at Busch Stadium.

How many hits did the Mets and Cardinals have?

Both teams recorded five hits.

Who hit the Mets’ home run?

Juan Soto hit the Mets’ only home run in the sixth inning. The homer traveled 344 feet to right field and tied the game at 1-1.

Who drove in the winning run for St. Louis?

Masyn Winn drove in the winning run in the 11th inning with an infield single that scored Wetherholt.

Who were the starting pitchers?

Freddy Peralta started for the Mets, while Matthew Liberatore started for the Cardinals. Both were charged with one earned run.

What was the Mets’ record after the game?

The Mets were 3-3 overall and 1-2 on the road according to the supplied game data. The Cardinals were 4-2 overall and 4-2 at home.

Conclusion

The mets vs st. louis cardinals match player stats from April 1, 2026 show how a baseball game can be decided by very small differences.

The Mets and Cardinals each finished with five hits and four walks. New York had the game’s only home run through Juan Soto, while Freddy Peralta produced seven strikeouts. St. Louis received six innings from Matthew Liberatore, who allowed only one earned run, and its bullpen kept the Mets from scoring again.

The clearest offensive difference came with runners in scoring position. New York went 0-for-11, while St. Louis went 2-for-14. Neither figure represents highly efficient hitting, but the Cardinals converted enough opportunities to score twice.

The deciding moment came in the 11th inning when Masyn Winn reached on an infield single and Wetherholt scored. G. Graceffo earned the win, while Tobias Myers was charged with the loss despite allowing no earned runs.

Ultimately, the box score shows a game defined by pitching, missed opportunities, and one late offensive play. The Cardinals finished with a 2-1 victory and won the three-game series 2-1.