NEW YORK -- — Mark Vientos hit his first homer of the season to spark a four-run second inning, and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.

Brett Baty and Francisco Lindor had RBI singles in the second, which ended when Tyrone Taylor scored as Lindor got caught in a rundown between first and second.

Lindor had three hits.

Griffin Canning (2-1), pitching two days after he was scratched from an outing at Minnesota because of illness, allowed one run and three hits in six innings with two walks and eight strikeouts — all over his final 16 batters. He threw 102 pitches, the most by a Mets pitcher this season and his most since a 105-pitch effort for the Los Angeles Angels last Sept. 29.

Edwin Díaz walked Nolan Arenado starting the ninth, then finished a three-hitter by retiring three straight batters for his fourth save.

Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals extended his hitting streak to a 13 games, the longest of his career and the longest active streak in the majors — with an RBI infield single in the third.

Andre Pallante (2-1) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings, inducing 13 ground-ball outs.

Key moment

Vientos opened the second by with a drive just fair of the right-field pole for his first home run in a span of 77 at-bats since Sept. 27.

Key stat

Lindor singled leading off the first and has a leadoff hit in eight of the Mets’ last 13 games.

Up next

Mets LHP David Peterson (1-1, 2.70 ERA) and Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (0-2, 9.00 ERA) start Friday.

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