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Johan Santana worked through nine innings and allowed six harmless hits, one walk and struck out five as the Mets defeated St. Louis.

In breaking their five-game skid, Albert Pujols clobbered a two-run homer to help the Cardinals snap the Mets’ three-game streak and send them to their fourth loss in 18 games.

The Mets have won 14 of their past 17 games, including three straight, to vault into first in the division, and their lead grew to two games over the Phillies and the Marlins,

An explosive offensive performance overshadowed an excellent start by Mike Pelfrey and kept the Mets within four and a half games of the Phillies heading into their four-game series.

Jose Reyes’ bases-clearing triple keyed a six-run third inning as the Mets pounded rookie Mitchell Boggs, rebounding from a one-run loss to earn a split in the four-game series.

The Mets lost a two-run lead in the eighth inning, then lost the game with two outs in the ninth, giving the Cardinals a victory at Busch Stadium.

The Mets’ starting pitching backed Tony Armas Jr.’s first appearance of the season with 14 hits and 7 consecutive runs in storming back from an early three-run deficit.

Pedro Martínez is scheduled to start Wednesday night against the Cardinals after two poor starts.

Shoddy fielding, a slumbering offense and poor pitching, stalwarts of the first 81 games, reappeared as the Mets opened the second half of their season with a 7-1.

The competition between Mike Pelfrey and Orlando Hernández gained some clarity after Hernández, in his spring debut, struggled with his revised mechanics.