ST. LOUIS — Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer, José Quintana won for the first time this season and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Thursday night to open a four-game series.
"He's solid. He had all three pitches," Mets manager Buck Showalter said. "That's a tough lineup. He's a guy who chases command instead of velocity. In a lot of ways, he's a throwback."
Quintana (1-4) beat his former team by pitching into the seventh inning. He gave up three hits, including a homer in the seventh to Tyler O'Neill, and two runs.