Mets offense explodes to beat the Cardinals

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty ImagesThe Mets came into the second game of the Cardinals series needing a win. They had won the day before, but had gone ten of fourteen before that, and another series win would both provide a salvo to some of the bad vibes and make the road trip seem like not a total disaster. José Buttó was taking the mound for the Mets, and while he was a little uneven as of late, one could reasonably hope the below-average Cardinals offense would allow him to regain some of his mojo. Miles Mikolas was starting for the Cardinals, and while his season thus far has left something to be desired, he’d always been pretty good when facing the Mets.

In the top of the first,…