Top of Mets’ order cuts Cards’ lead

ST. LOUIS — Though starter Jonathon Niese lasted only 21 pitches before an achy left knee forced him to the clubhouse, the Mets, behind a pair of early home runs and an exhaustive effort from the bullpen, nabbed a 7-4 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium. The win cut into the Cardinals’ advantage over New York for the second National League Wild Card spot, too. The Mets’ deficit in that race now sits at 3 1/2 games.

Wilmer Flores, a non-traditional choice for the cleanup spot, crushed a three-run homer off Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia in the first to set the tone in the series opener. Garcia, who opened his subpar night with a leadoff walk, never got much sharper. Two-out RBI hits by Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera broke a tie in the second, and Justin Ruggiano tattooed a fastball for a home run in the fourth, Garcia’s final inning of work.

Garcia’s stay on the mound, though, far exceeded Niese’s. Despite no hint of knee discomfort when he warmed up, Niese made it through four first-inning batters before he had to exit. In that time, he allowed one hit and walked two, …

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