Mets defeat Cardinals as Jose Butto works through early struggles
Mets starting pitcher Jose Butto throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in St. Louis. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
ST. LOUIS — A hallmark of Jose Butto’s nascent career was relevant — and integral — again Tuesday: When he doesn’t thrive, he at least can survive.
He helped the Mets beat the Cardinals, 7-5, by salvaging a start that was so close to being so much worse, allowing the hitters to get back in — and win — a game that could have been a total loss.
The line: five innings, five hits, three runs. He struck out three and walked three.
All of those runs, however, came during a 28-pitch opening inning. The first time through the St. Louis lineup, Butto allowed six of nine batters to reach base. It was shaping up as an ugly outing that risked burning the bullpen, maybe setting up the relief debut of displaced starter Adrian Houser.
But then Butto did what he often does in such situations: He figured it out. He settled in. He survived.
“The fact that he went five and kept us in the game, shout out to him,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, lamenting Butto’s lack of command of his fastball. “It says a lot. Poise, mature for his age, still learning and adjusting at this level. And that’s a good sign for a young player, in this particular case a pitcher. When he’s not at his best, he finds a way to continue to compete and continue to keep making pitches and battle. That’s huge.”
After starting the second with a walk of Brandon Crawford (.105 average entering the day) and a single from Michael Siani (.191), Butto retired the next three Cardinals. That set off a run of 11-of-13 to finish his night.
This skill first presented itself in a major-league context on Aug. 21, 2022, a date Butto has tattooed on his neck. In his debut against the Phillies, Butto very nearly failed to finish the first. He was one more baserunner away from then-manager Buck Showalter pulling him. But then the inning ended and he wound up going three more in a wild Mets win.
Butto did it again at Busch Stadium, albeit in a slightly less wild game. The Mets (18-18) picked up their first series victory since they faced the Dodgers (April 19-21).
“My mind is [to] always get into the fifth, get into the sixth, give a chance to the guys to win the game,” Butto said.
His ability to get by gave the rest of the Mets time to do their part.
They plated six runs in the fifth inning off righthanded starter Miles Mikolas. Brandon Nimmo’s three-run home run tied it, erasing St. Louis’ damage from the first. And Pete Alonso’s two-run double put the Mets ahead.
Alonso added a home run in the ninth. Those were welcomed positive signs given his 1-for-32 funk.
“It was really nice to have a positive impact on the game,” Alonso said.
Mendoza said: “It’s always good to see results, but you know at some point he’s going to come out of it.”
The Cardinals (15-21) lost catcher Willson Contreras to a fractured left arm in the top of the second. J.D. Martinez’s swing hit him in the forearm. Contreras, by far their best player this year, immediately crumpled to the ground in significant pain. He exited moments later.
“I’ve had catcher’s interferences before, but nothing that bad,” Martinez said. “You’re expecting to hit a ball and you hit an arm. You’re like, what was that? I hit meat. I felt I hit meat. I didn’t hit just a glove where you point back at the catcher. It was solid. Dude, I hit him good. When I got to first, I felt terrible.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
