NEW YORK (AP) — Even when the Mets win lately, it hurts.

Noah Syndergaard left his start after six innings with a sore elbow and Yoenis Cespedes came out because of an aching wrist, yet New York held off the Kansas City Royals 4-3 Wednesday for a two-game sweep in their World Series rematch.

Both star players were sent to the doctor as the banged-up Mets packed for a seven-game road trip. Lucas Duda, David Wright, Juan Lagares and reliever Jim Henderson already are out with injuries, and Bartolo Colon lasted four pitches in New York’s 2-1 victory Tuesday night before he was hit in the thumb by a line drive.

Fellow pitcher Zack Wheeler recently had a setback in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

“We’ve got to keep grinding. We’ve got to go with what we’ve got,” second baseman Neil Walker said. “This is no different than what we’ve kind of been going through.”

Matt Reynolds snapped a sixth-inning tie with his first major league home run for the Mets. Asdrubal Cabrera homered for the second straight day and scored with an acrobatic slide to help Syndergaard (8-2) win his sixth consecutive decision.

Cespedes had two hits and a walk, including a double off the center-field wall, but was removed in the sixth because of discomfort in his left wrist.

“If you remember last fall he had a similar problem with that left hand. He takes some swings and it comes off the bat,” manager Terry Collins said. “So I don’t know what the issue is. I’m certainly concerned about it. Anytime, when you’re a hitter and you’re a big hitter and your hands and your wrists have problems, it’s a concern.”

Cespedes was diagnosed with a mild strain in his left wrist. He received a cortisone shot and is day to day, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz told The Associated Press later Wednesday night.

The news about Syndergaard, an emerging ace in his second big league season and the hardest-throwing starter in the majors, was also a concern. The 23-year-old pitcher had his right elbow examined earlier this year after feeling some tightness, but hasn’t missed a turn in the rotation.

“His elbow flared up on him. That’s why I took him out of the game,” said a terse Collins, nudged by Horwitz to disclose that information at the conclusion of his postgame news conference.

An MRI showed no structural damage and he receive anti-inflammatory medication and was cleared to resume normal activities, Horwitz later said.

Syndergaard pitched on six days’ rest, pushed back a day after throwing 115 pitches — one short of his most in the majors — over a career-high 8 1/3 innings during his previous outing.

Wheeler was diagnosed with sensory nerve irritation in his right elbow. Tests showed no structural damage and he also received a cortisone shot and was cleared resume baseball activities as tolerated

Cheslor Cuthbert homered for the Royals, who had won eight of nine when they arrived at Citi Field — where they clinched their 2015 championship with a late rally in Game 5.

But after a string of comebacks floored the Mets last fall, this time New York’s bullpen held Kansas City at bay in two more tight games between the teams. Including a two-game split at Kauffman Stadium to begin the season, the Mets took three of four meetings between the defending league champions this year.

Reynolds, playing the outfield for the first time in his professional career, hit an opposite-field drive to right off Joakim Soria (3-3) with two outs in the sixth.

“He put it in the air, and the wind took care of the rest,” Soria said.

That put New York ahead 4-3 and made a winner of Syndergaard, who won 2-0 at Kansas City in April. Of course, he also earned New York’s only World Series victory last October and irritated the Royals by firing his first pitch above Alcides Escobar’s head.

The big right-hander squandered a pair of one-run leads this time, giving up three runs and a season-high eight hits. He struck out four and walked none.

Jerry Blevins and Addison Reed set up Jeurys Familia for his major league-leading 24th save.

Curtis Granderson walked with two outs in the fifth and Cabrera hit a two-run shot off a 97 mph, 1-2 fastball from frustrated starter Danny Duffy.

“I made one bad pitch that really kind of screwed up the whole performance,” Duffy said.

Whit Merrifield and Paulo Orlando each had an RBI single for the Royals.

STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND

New York sat slumping LF Michael Conforto against the left-hander, so Reynolds started in left field and made all his plays. The rookie infielder said the last time he played the outfield was one summer ballgame in the Cape Cod League during college.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: All-Star LF Alex Gordon (broken right wrist) played his fourth rehab game at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He was 4 for 11 with a home run and a double in his first three games and could rejoin the Royals this weekend.

Mets: The 43-year-old Colon remains scheduled to make his next start Sunday in Atlanta. … Needing a fresh arm in their taxed bullpen, the Mets recalled RHP Logan Verrett from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned INF Ty Kelly to their top farm club.

UP NEXT

Royals: After a day off Thursday, their second in four days, the Royals play another opponent they dispatched during the 2015 postseason. RHP Edinson Volquez (7-6, 4.12 ERA) faces AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel (3-9, 5.32) when Houston visits Kansas City on Friday night for a three-game series.

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (4-9, 4.76 ERA) takes the mound Thursday night in the opener of a four-game set. RHP Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.23) pitches for the last-place Braves, who beat Harvey and swept three games at Citi Field last weekend.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — When the St. Louis Cardinals arrived at Wrigley Field for a three-game series, manager Mike Matheny shook off questions about their 12 1/2-game deficit to the surging Cubs by insisting he avoids looking at the standings.

“It’s just not allowing me to fall into the trap, the trap of either being content or being overwhelmed,” Matheny said.

Three games later, Cardinals showed the NL Central may not be sewn up just yet.

Michael Wacha pitched into the seventh inning for his first win in nearly two months and the Cardinals waited out Jake Arrieta before roughing up Chicago’s bullpen in a 7-2 victory over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Aledmys Diaz hit a two-run home run, and Matt Carpenter had a two-run double in a five-run sixth after Arrieta (11-2) departed. The Cardinals won their eighth straight road game — their longest streak since 1982 — and completed their first three-game sweep at Wrigley Field since 1988.

“This is a big series for us,” Carpenter said.

Arrieta was charged with two runs — one earned — and four hits in five innings as he struggled with control (four walks) and pitch count (106).

“Go back to work tomorrow and combat the things that teams have done against me recently,” Arrieta said.

Wacha (3-7) allowed two hits until rookie Willson Contreras’ one-out, two-run homer in the seventh ended his day.

Contreras replaced Miguel Montero an inning earlier after the catcher twisted his right knee. He said after the game he was fine.

The Cubs had three hits and committed several mental and defensive miscues. Their three-game skid matches the longest of the season.

“Give them credit. They pitched well, they really played well and they beat us fair and square,” manager Joe Maddon said.

Chicago entered the series the darlings of baseball. But the Cardinals, who won 100 games last season before falling to the Cubs in the playoffs, showed their mettle.

Wacha set down the first nine batters before giving up two walks in the fourth and then Anthony Rizzo’s opposite-field single against the shift with two out.

But the Cubs didn’t score thanks to Chris Coghlan getting doubled off first base on a fly to left, and Wacha was able to snap a seven-game skid.

“It’s been a while for sure,” Wacha said.

The Cardinals made Arrieta work with long at-bats before taking advantage of Chicago’s shoddy defense.

“We grinded 1 through 9, even Wacha had a pretty long at-bat (seven pitches) against him,” Carpenter said. “We worked his pitch count and had runners on base. The error, that ended up being the difference in the game.”

A single and two walks loaded the bases in the fifth with one out when Stephen Picotty hit a grounder to third. But second baseman Ben Zobrist’s relay throw to first was a one-hopper, Rizzo couldn’t dig it out for the double play, and two runs scored.

“That was a big moment there,” Rizzo said. “I just missed it.”

Justin Grimm replaced Arrieta and was charged with four runs while getting one out in a nightmare sixth for Chicago before Contreras hit his second big league homer.

Rizzo later left the game as a precaution with a tight back.

“If it wasn’t 7-0, I think I would have stayed in the game,” Rizzo said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Seth Maness (elbow) allowed a walk and got two outs in his first appearance since being activated off the disabled list Sunday.

Cubs: With CF Dexter Fowler (hamstring) on the disabled list, Maddon has settled in on Coghlan batting leadoff against right-handers and Zobrist vs. lefties.

MOLINA & THE CUBS

Cardinals C Yadier Molina could be starting with an all-Cubs infield at the All-Star Game. The latest NL voting released Wednesday had Molina with a slight lead over San Francisco’s Buster Posey. The Cubs’ Rizzo, Zobrist, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell continued to lead at their infield positions.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: After an off day, RHP Carlos Martinez (7-5, 3.17 ERA) looks to stay unbeaten in June in the opener of a three-game series at Seattle.

Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (9-3, 2.06 ERA) aims to win his sixth straight start Thursday night as Chicago opens a season-high 11-game trip in Miami. Struggling LHP Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 5.22) will start for the Marlins.

— Associated Press —