Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the visiting New York Mets 4-1 Wednesday in the first half of their doubleheader.

Paul Goldschmidt also hit a home run for the Cardinals, who won their sixth straight game and their 10th in their past 12 games.

Cardinals starting pitcher Kwang Hyun Kim allowed one run on two hits and three walks in four innings.

Reliever Ryan Helsley (3-0) blanked the Mets in the fifth inning to earn the victory and Alex Reyes, the fourth Cardinals pitcher, closed out the game for his ninth save.

Outfielder Dylan Carlson exited the game for the Cardinals after he fouled a ball off of his shin in the fifth inning and suffered a shin contusion.

Mets starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (3-3) allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits in five innings.

Goldschmidt put the Cardinals up 1-0 with his first-inning solo homer off the facing of the third deck.

The Cardinals scored with two outs in the third inning when Carlson, Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado hit singles to make it 2-0.

Kim ran his streak of consecutive batters retired to eight before walking Michael Conforto leading off the fourth inning. Kevin Pillar dumped a single into left field and Jeff McNeil walked to load the bases.

James McCann hit into a forceout to drive home a run. But Kim struck out Jonathan Villar and Albert Almora Jr. to end the threat.

The Cardinals threatened again in the bottom of the fourth when Pete Alonso dropped Tyler O'Neill's blooper to first. Harrison Bader sent him to third with a single to right field.

But Stroman struck out Andrew Knizner, Matt Carpenter and Tommy Edman to strand the runners.

DeJong's two-run homer the fifth inning, his seventh of the season, put the Cardinals up 4-1. That came after Arenado reached on a two-out throwing error by Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.

--Field Level Media