Carpenter allow his first runs this spring

~ The Mets banged around the St. Louis bullpen in a 12-2 victory.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Chris Carpenter's scoreless spring ended.

The NL Cy Young winner, who threw 16 shutout innings in his first four exhibition outings, did well to minimize the damage in the New York Mets' 12-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. He allowed the first four batters to reach, threw a wild pitch, made a throwing error and blew a squeeze bunt.

"My location wasn't as good as I would like," Carpenter said. "My stuff was fine, so I'm not concerned.

"You're not going to have your best stuff every time."

The Mets broke open a 2-2 game with a six-run sixth after Carpenter exited, reaching reliever Ricardo Rincon for four runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning. Paul LoDuca hit a three-run double in the inning.

Carpenter, a 21-game winner last year, lasted 4 2/3 innings and gave up two runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Entering the game he had allowed only eight hits and one walk all spring, but said he was unable to smooth out troubles with his mechanics.

"It was just one of those days that for some reason I wasn't able to make the consistent adjustment," Carpenter said. "I battled."

Carpenter's first inning was his worst. The Mets began the game with an infield hit by Jose Reyes, a walk to Paul LoDuca, a bunt hit by Carlos Beltran and a bases-loaded walk to Carlos Delgado before David Wright struck out and Xavier Nady grounded into a double play.

Carpenter blew a squeeze bunt in the fourth with the bases loaded and one out, and Jim Edmonds was easily picked off between third and home. Then he made a wild pickoff throw to second in the fifth.

The Mets' Tom Glavine, working one day before his 40th birthday, wanted only two pitches back. Glavine worked five innings and gave up two runs, on solo home runs by Jim Edmonds in the second and Albert Pujols in the third.

Glavine, making his third spring start, allowed five hits with four walks and three strikeouts.