Max Scherzer pulled himself from a start Wednesday night with discomfort in his left side before the New York Mets finished off an 11-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pete Alonso homered and drove in four runs for the Mets (25-14), who improved to 13-1 following a loss. The only time they dropped consecutive games this season was April 10-11.

Jeff McNeil had an early two-run single and Alonso snapped a 2-all tie with an RBI single off rookie reliever Jake Walsh (0-1) in a four-run fifth inning. Dominic Smith knocked in a run with a single during the outburst, and Luis Guillorme drove in another with a safety squeeze.

Mark Canha scored three times and followed Brandon Nimmo’s run-scoring triple with an RBI single as the Mets broke open a 6-4 game with a five-run eighth capped by Alonso’s three-run homer off T.J. McFarland.

Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals. Albert Pujols got two hits to pass Eddie Collins for 10th place on the career list with 3,314, including an early two-run single off Scherzer (5-1).

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Dakota Hudson (3-2, 3.06 ERA) faces RHP Chris Bassitt (4-2, 2.34) in the series finale Thursday afternoon. Bassitt pitched six innings of two-hit ball for a 3-0 win April 26 in St. Louis. Game time is 12:10.