NEW YORK -- — Jordan Walker homered and drove in four runs, his latest big game in a breakout season, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 9-2 on Wednesday night to match a season high with their sixth straight victory. St. Louis starter Andre Pallante (7-4) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings. Pallante earned his third straight win and surpassed his win total from 2025 when he finished 6-15. Walker knocked in the first run with an RBI single off New York opener Austin Warren (1-3) in a two-run first. Walker gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead in the fourth by hammering David Peterson’s fastball into the center-field seats for a three-run shot. Walker’s single and 401-foot drive gave him 52 RBI, one more than his previous career best set in his rookie season. He also surpassed his previous high by hitting his 17th homer, and he has at least one RBI in five straight games. The 24-year-old Walker had multiple hits for the fifth time in six games and is batting .424 over his last seven games. Nelson Velázquez preceded Walker’s homer with a two-run shot in the third to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead. Alec Burlerson homered for the second straight night in the ninth and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. St. Louis has outscored the Mets 16-2 in the first two games of the three-game series. Masyn Winn added an RBI and reached base three times. José Fermín provided an RBI single as the Cardinals won a sixth straight game for the second time this year. Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run homer in his second game back after missing four weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee, but the Mets were held to three hits. Juan Soto was 0 for 3 and is mired in a 3-for-30 skid. Warren threw 33 pitches to seven hitters in his second appearance as an opener. Peterson was tagged for six runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Up next St. Louis RHP Hunter Dobbins (1-0, 2.77 ERA) faces New York RHP Christian Scott (2-0, 2.50) in the series finale Thursday afternoon. ------ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb