St. Louis--The Mets' 10th straight loss came suddenly and swiftly. One moment, they led the Cardinals 3-2, and in a matter of moments, everything went sideways.
The Cards scored five runs in the eighth inning and beat the Mets 7-3 at Busch Stadium Tuesday night.
Mets starter Al Jackson, coming off two rugged starts, was taming the Cards through seven innings, surrendering just six hits and two runs. His offense had scratched out three runs, positioning the Mets for their first win since opening night.
But after a one-out single, Mets manager Casey Stengel lifted Jackson for Bill Wakefield, who has been more gas than anything as a reliever this season.
True to form, the first six hitters Wakefield faced reached base. It went single, double, single, walk, fielder's choice (safe at home), single. When the dust settled, the Cards had scored five runs and Wakefield was left with a 12.00 ERA in six relief innings in 1964.
The Mets went down relatively weakly in the ninth, and their 10th straight loss was in the books.
Curt Flood had three RBI for the Cardinals.
Wakefield was roughed up yet again out of the Mets' bullpen
The Mets went ahead, 2-1, in the fourth on Ron Hunt's second homer, a two-run shot. But Flood tied it in the bottom of the frame, tripling home pitcher Ernie Broglio.
Mets catcher Jesse Gonder doubled home George Altman in the seventh to put the Mets ahead, 3-2.
Then the eighth inning came, and any hopes the Mets would break through for a rare victory were dashed under a fusillade of Cardinals hits.
"What we needed was for the skies to break and the rain to come down," Stengel said. "Maybe God can give us a break here."
The Almighty One may be the Mets' only hope nowadays.
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Mets record: 1-10, .091 (Last 10: 0-10; streak: L-10); Actual: 2-9
Home: 0-4; Away: 1-6
Runs scored: 29
Runs against: 70
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