Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Tasked With Mets $75 Million Ace Following Francisco Lindor's Walk-Off HR

St. Louis has an uphill battle to overcome on Saturday
Nate Hagerty|
Apr 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits a game-winning solo home run in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Apr 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits a game-winning solo home run in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsNew York Mets

The St. Louis Cardinals have their backs against the wall as they prepare to begin the second half of their four-game series against the New York Mets on Saturday.

Friday night's entertaining back-and-forth battle versus the Mets ended in heartache for the Cardinals after four-time Silver Slugger Francisco Lindor belted a walk-off home run off St. Louis youngster Ryan Fernandez in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals can't win this series against the Mets but if they hope to win the next two games to tie the series, St. Louis must overcome a Queens pitcher valued at five years and $75 million.

Mets right-handed pitcher Kodai Senga is scheduled to square off against Cardinals left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore in game three on Saturday at Citi Field, Queens, New York, at 3:05 PM Central Standard Time.

Senga was signed by the Mets as a highly anticipated international free agent from Japan in Dec. 2022 but after suffering a right shoulder capsule strain and left calf strain in 2024, the gifted hurler pitched only 5 1/3 innings last season.

Fortunately for the Mets, Senga looks just as good as ever in his return to the rotation this year -- logging a 2-1 record with a 1.06 ERA, 16-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .200 batting average against and a 1.00 WHIP in 17 innings pitched across three starts for Queens.

Luckily, the Cardinals have one of the league's most productive offenses -- ranking fifth in runs scored (99) and OPS (.753) and second in hits (191) and batting average (.270).

Liberatore, who pitched a shutout gem against the National League Central rival Pittsburgh Pirates in his last outing, hopes to maintain his respectable start to 2025 by logging his second win of the year against the Mets star-laden lineup with two-time Gold Glove defender Lindor, $765 million superstar Juan Soto and four-time All-Star Pete Alonso.

More MLB: Yankees Could Become Surprise Trade Destination For Cardinals Fan Favorite

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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