ST. LOUIS (AP) — Noah Syndergaard has found his health, and even a little bit of luck at the plate, but he’s still off to a vexing start to the season.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs and Syndergaard hit a home run with Dexter Fowler’s help, but he struggled on the mound as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Sunday.

“My frustration’s pretty high right now,” Syndergaard said. “It would have been a great win today, but I let the team down.”

Syndergaard (1-2) allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits in five innings, but his most memorable play came while batting in the fourth. He hit a deep flyball to center that Fowler leaped for on the warning track even though it was well below the fence. The ball deflected off Fowler’s glove and over the wall for Syndergaard’s fifth career homer and first since Aug. 16, 2016, at Arizona.

It was one of four homers on the day for the Mets, but that wasn’t enough for Syndergaard, who has allowed at least five runs in his last two starts after not having given up five in a game since April 30, 2017, at Washington.

UP NEXT

Mets: LHP Steven Matz (1-1, 4.96 ERA) starts against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday as New York begins a 10-game homestand. Matz allowed eight runs without recording an out in his previous start, at Philadelphia on April 16.

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (1-1, 5.00) starts against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. Flaherty is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA in seven career starts against Milwaukee.

Saturday’s Games

New Orleans 4, Omaha 3

Iowa 11, Oklahoma City 1

Sunday’s Games
Omaha at New Orleans, 1 p.m.

Iowa at Oklahoma City, 2:05 p.m.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miles Mikolas tossed eight stellar innings and also drove in two runs, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the New York Mets 10-2. Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter left the game after the sixth inning with a bruised left knee. He appeared to foul a ball off himself, but stayed in and drew a walk, then scored a run and exited. Jose Martinez had three hits and three RBIs and Paul Goldschmidt hit his eighth home run for St. Louis.

NEW YORK (AP) — All-Star slugger Aaron Judge hurt his left oblique while taking a swing and was expected to go on injured list as the already banged-up New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 9-2. Judge homered early, but hurt himself in the sixth inning while hitting a single. Asked if Judge could possibly avoid going on the injured list, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “Probably not.” The Yankees began the game with 12 players on the injured list.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miles Mikolas tossed eight stellar innings and also drove in two runs, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the New York Mets 10-2 on Saturday. Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter left the game after the sixth inning with a bruised left knee. He appeared to foul a ball off himself, but stayed in and drew a walk, then scored a run and exited. Jose Martinez had three hits and three RBIs and Paul Goldschmidt hit his eighth home run for St. Louis. Mikolas (2-1) became the first St. Louis pitcher to record an out in the seventh inning this season. He allowed two runs and four hits. The Cardinals are 11-0 when Mikolas records a base hit since he joined the team in 2018.

Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez threw a 30-pitch side session prior to the game. Martinez said he mixed in breaking pitches with his fastball and changeup. Manager Mike Shildt said it is reasonable to expect Martinez to progress to throwing live batting practice at extended spring training in Jupiter, Florida, in the next few days and potentially progress to a minor league rehabilitation assignment by the end of next week.

UP NEXT Sunday, April 21st at 1:15-p.m.: Mets vs. Cards.  Cardinals RHP Dakota Hudson will be making his first career appearance against the Mets. Pre-game show 12:20-p.m. on KJAN.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Ric Hanson.

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Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookie Pete Alonso hit his seventh home run, Robinson Cano added three hits and the New York Mets held off the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4. Mets closer Edwin Diaz retired Yadier Molina on a flyball with runners at the corners for the final out. Lane Thomas hit a two-run homer in his first major league plate appearance, connecting in the St. Louis sixth. His shot scraped the top of the right field wall and originally was ruled in play, but became a home run after a replay review.

NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia played stopper again for the Yankees in earning his first win of the season and Brett Gardner hit a two-run homer to help New York beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2. Mike Tauchman also went deep and the Yankees got four solid innings from their bullpen to bounce back from a listless performance against the last-place Royals in the series opener.

NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson didn’t go into detail about what he said during a bench-clearing fracas with Kansas City earlier in the week after a report that he directed a racial slur at Royals pitcher Brad Keller. Anderson was suspended one game for his actions Wednesday. Benches cleared after Keller hit Anderson, who had celebrated an earlier home run, with a fastball. Keller was penalized five games and is appealing.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s Noor Ahmed is the only golfer at the college level or higher known to wear a hijab while competing. Ahmed says she hopes Muslim girls are watching her and encouraged to chase their dreams in environments where they might encounter fear, uncertainty and hostility. Ahmed has been the Cornhuskers’ No. 2 player most of the spring. She helped them win their first tournament title in five years.

NEW YORK (AP) — Megan Gustafson of Iowa has won the Honda Sports Award as the top woman in college basketball. Gustafson led Division I women’s basketball with an average of 28 points this season. She owns Iowa records for most career points (2,804) and rebounds (1,460).

The 6-foot-3 center from Port Wing, Wisconsin, had 33 double-doubles in her senior season, tying an NCAA record. She led the Hawkeyes to the school’s first Elite Eight in 26 years and earned AP Player of the Year honors.

The other finalists were Asia Durr (Louisville), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon) and Teaira McCowan (Mississippi State). Gustafson becomes eligible for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, which will be awarded June 24 on CBS Sports Network in Los Angeles.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors are seeking the equivalent of a life sentence for a former elite Iowa youth basketball coach who sexually abused and exploited 400 boys over a decade. In a sentencing memorandum filed Thursday, prosecutors asked a judge to sentence former Iowa Barnstormers coach Greg Stephen to 180 years in prison. They said that sentence would reflect the harm he caused his “victims and the community” and “his level of dangerousness.” Sentencing is scheduled for May 2.

Stephen pleaded guilty last year to sexually exploiting minors and possessing and transporting child pornography. He acknowledged secretly recording players while they were naked, posed as a girl on social media to trick boys into sending him sexually explicit images, and recorded himself fondling boys while they slept. Stephen’s defense is asking for a 20-year sentence.

Shenandoah ran away with the team win at the Southwest Valley Timberwolf Girls Invitational on Thursday. The Fillies tallied 103 points, led by Logan Hughes’ victories in the Shot Put in the Discus.

Nodaway Valley finihsed 2nd and had 4 event wins on the night. Lexi Shike won the 100M Hurdles. The Wolverines also won the Shuttle Hurdle Relay and Sprint Medley. Reagan Weinheimer won the 800M.

Team Scores

1. Shenandoah 103
2. Nodaway Valley 73
3. I-35 66
4. Red Oak 59
5. Griswold 53
6. Southwest Valley 52
7. Clarinda 48
8. Bedford 30
9. Stanton 26
10. Clarinda Academy 26
11. Essex 20
12. Lenox 18
13. South Page 8
14. East Mills 4

Full results here.

Team Scores

1. Madrid 186.5
2. Mount Ayr 107
3. Albia 100
4. Bondurant-Farrar 76
5. Gilbert 72.5
6. I-35 57
7. Colfax-Mingo 34.5
8. Martensdale-St. Marys
9. Southeast Warren 26
10. Pleasantville 25.5
11. Nodaway Valley 25

Full results here.