Joey Lucchesi has spent most of the 2023 season as a forgotten man,  but the left-hander is an additional pitcher who is under the Mets’ control for 2024 and capable of getting outs in the major leagues.

Friday night was an opportunity for the team to savor the best of Lucchesi, who pitched strong into the sixth inning in the Mets’ 7-1 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

The Mets (57-66) won for the fifth time in six games, continuing their recent success against the NL Central. Facing the Cubs, Pirates and Cardinals over the last week-and-a-half, the Mets have gone 6-2.

Brandon Nimmo homered leading off the game for his 18th of the season, a career best. The Mets extended their lead to 2-0 in the third on Jeff McNeil’s RBI single. 

McNeil’s three-run homer in the seventh broke it open. After the Mets loaded the bases with nobody out and scored a run on Lindor’s RBI fielder’s choice, Alvarez stroked an RBI single that widened the lead to  4-0. McNeil followed with a shot over the right-field fence for his sixth homer of the season.