Nolan Arenado's second home run of the game, a ninth-inning solo blast, snapped a tie Sunday afternoon as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 8-7 in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Arenado provided the Cardinals' first runs with a two-run shot in the opening inning.

Brendan Donovan had three hits and an RBI while Paul Goldschmidt laced a two-run double for the Cardinals, who squandered all of a four-run second inning lead. Paul DeJong homered in the third and Jordan Walker went deep in the fifth.

Drew VerHagen (4-0) tossed 1 2/3 perfect innings before Jordan Hicks notched his second save with a one-hit ninth.

Francisco Lindor and Tommy Pham homered for the Mets, who fell to 4-11 this month. Brandon Nimmo hit a two-run double while Eduardo Escobar (triple) and Mark Canha (single) each had RBIs.

Adam Ottavino (0-3) took the loss.

Donovan led off the game with a double and Arenado homered one out later. Lindor answered with a solo shot in the bottom half before the Cardinals scored three times in the second, when Donovan had an RBI single and Goldschmidt followed with his two-run double to center.

The Mets responded with a three-run outburst in which Escobar had an RBI triple and Nimmo was thrown out for the third out trying to extend his two-run double.

DeJong homered in the third before Canha pulled the hosts within a run again by lacing a two-out RBI single in the fourth.

Walker homered with one out in the fifth and Pham, who played for the Cardinals from 2014-18, tied the score 7-7 with a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame.

Arenado sent a 2-1 sinker 390 feet to left with one out in the ninth for the winning margin.

Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore gave up five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two over four innings. Mets starter Carlos Carrasco allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out four over three innings.

--Field Level Media