Max Scherzer had a four-run lead in the sixth inning and everything was rolling right along for the New York Mets - same as all season.
Until the three-time Cy Young Award winner signaled to the dugout he was done.
Scherzer pulled himself from a start Wednesday night with discomfort in his left side before New York finished off an 11-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. He plans to get an MRI on Thursday.
Pete Alonso homered and drove in four runs for the Mets (25-14), already missing ace starter Jacob deGrom and his effective replacement in the rotation, Tylor Megill, because of injuries.
Still, they improved to 13-1 following a loss. The only time they dropped consecutive games this season was April 10-11.
Jeff McNeil had an early two-run single and Alonso snapped a 2-all tie with an RBI single off rookie reliever Jake Walsh (0-1) in a four-run fifth. Dominic Smith singled home a run and Luis Guillorme drove in another with a nicely executed safety squeeze.
Mets batters were hit by pitches three times, increasing their major league-leading total to 28. That includes eight by Cardinals pitchers in six games - the teams got into a bench-clearing melee in St. Louis last month.
Both clubs were warned Wednesday night after Mark Canha was hit near the ribs by a 98 mph fastball from Cardinals starter Jordan Hicks in the third, but there was no trouble between the teams.
Canha scored three times and followed Brandon Nimmo's run-scoring triple with an RBI single as the Mets broke open a 6-4 game with a five-run eighth capped by Alonso's three-run homer off struggling lefty T.J. McFarland.
Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals in the eighth. Albert Pujols got two hits to pass Eddie Collins for 10th place on the career list with 3,314, including an early two-run single off Scherzer (5-1).
The 37-year-old right-hander left with two outs in the sixth and a 1-1 count on Pujols.
With two runners on, Scherzer threw a slider in the dirt and immediately motioned to the New York bench that he was finished.
Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, manager Buck Showalter and a trainer came out to the mound. After a quick discussion, Scherzer walked off the field.
Scherzer threw 61 of his 87 pitches for strikes and left with a 6-2 lead against his hometown team. Adam Ottavino was given all the time he needed to warm up, and he struck out Pujols to end the inning.
The 42-year-old Pujols, who stole second off Scherzer, also grounded out with the score 6-4 and a runner on against Seth Lugo to end the eighth.
Dakota Hudson (3-2, 3.06 ERA) faces RHP Chris Bassitt (4-2, 2.34) in the series finale Thursday afternoon. Bassitt pitched six innings of two-hit ball for a 3-0 win April 26 in St. Louis.
