NEW YORK -- For the New York Mets, many times when Bartolo Colon pitches, there's a reassuring feeling that everything is going to work out.

Everything worked out Tuesday night when Colon pitched seven strong innings and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter as the Mets earned a split of their doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 3-1 victory.

"He is a unique human being," New York manager Terry Collins. "There's no question about it. He's unique, he's different."

So unique that the Mets are planning on using him on three days' rest for Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies.

Colon will make the start on short rest after successfully executing a strategy of keeping pitches away from a lineup who leads the National League with 138 home runs.

After Noah Syndergaard labored at times through 115 pitches in the 3-2 loss in the opener, the entertaining right-hander allowed one run and three hits. He struck out eight without a walk and could have easily thrown more than 65-of-87 pitches he threw for strikes had the Mets not needed him Saturday.

Colon's lone mistake was the first pitch he threw to Jedd Gyorko in the third that turned into a home run over the left-field wall. After Gyorko's second home run of the day and sixth in nine games, Colon retired 17 of the final 19 hitters.

"He's a special guy and we are very, very lucky to have him in our rotation right now," Collins said.

Colon rebounded from three consecutive starts that did not last beyond 5 2/3 innings by turning in his fifth start of the season where he lasted at least seven innings and allowed one run.

"We talk about guys that have something different and his sinker is different from the rest of the ones you see in the league," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "He made good pitches with his off speed, his changeup, his slider, everything he needed to do, he did."

Since turning 40 on May 24, 2013, Colon has had 36 starts in which he has allowed one run or less. Since 1913, it is the sixth most for a starter after turning 40.

"Just throwing it straight," Colon said through an interpreter. "It was going exactly where I wanted to."

After Colon's latest effective outing, Addison Reed struck out two in the eighth and Jeruys Famila converted his 36th save and 52nd in a row by fanning Matt Holliday with a runner on first.

Besides the steady outing from Colon, the Mets received productive nights from the left side of the infield. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera drove in two runs with a double and a sacrifice fly while Wilmer Flores had three hits.

Cabrera's double in the third off Jaime Garcia (7-7) tied the game at 1-1 and ended a hitless drought of 32 at-bats with a runner in scoring position, five shy of Gregg Jefferies record.

"It's a big monkey off his back for sure," Collins said.

Flores helped the Mets take the lead in the fourth. He had a leadoff double, took third when right fielder Randall Grichuk misplayed Neil Walker's fly ball for an error and scored on James Loney's double play grounder.

An inning later, the Mets added their final run when Cabrera lifted a sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals homered for the 17th straight game and have 138 home runs. Other than Gyorko's latest home run, little went right for St. Louis offensively as it struck out 12 times and did not get a walk.

"We don't like losing any game, ever," Matheny said.

After getting five innings from Carlos Martinez in the opener, Garcia allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits in five innings.

NOTES: After the game, the Mets announced 3B Jose Reyes has a Grade 1 intercostal strain and will be out a "few days". Manager Terry Collins said Reyes was injured on his final swing of the opener. ... The Cardinals became the first team to surpass their home run total from last season. ... St. Louis INF Jedd Gyorko homered in both games of the doubleheader for second time this week. ... Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes was in the starting lineup in the nightcap. Prior to the opener, Collins said he intended on using Cespedes for both games