NEW YORK -- Talk about a home run for the psyche.

Daniel Vogelbach needed it in a big way. His sixth-inning blast gave the Mets their final run in New York's 6-1 victory over the Cardinals on Friday night at Citi Field.

When the Mets acquired Vogelbach last year from Pittsburgh, he was supposed to provide some thump in the batter’s box. But from May 1 to June 7, Vogelbach hadn't produced, going 11-for-70 with one home run, five RBIs and 23 strikeouts. Vogelbach was given a week-long mental break after going hitless on June 7 against the Braves. But the way he saw it, he was trying to fix his swing.

During the past week, Vogelbach worked with hitting coach Jeremy Barnes and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske to make things click in the batter’s box. During the off-day on Thursday, for example, Vogelbach showed up at Citi Field at noon trying to fix his swing.

“I really credit Barnes and Hinske [for taking] the time to put the work in with me, coming in on off-days when they have families and willing to put the time in when they don’t have to,” Vogelbach said. “That’s credit to the type of people that we have around here and how much people care for each other. And I think it shows that everybody wants the ultimate goal, and that’s whatever we can [do] to win that night.”

Vogelbach started Friday’s game hitless in his first two at-bats. The fans at Citi Field were not afraid to tell him he wasn't living up to expectations, showering him with boos when he was at the plate.

Then came the sixth inning, when he came through big for himself, his team and fans.

The Mets had a 5-1 lead when Vogelbach hit a monster blast into the right-field seats on a 3-1 sinker from right-hander Miles Mikolas. Vogelbach knew the ball was gone, standing in the batter’s box for a few seconds before running the bases. His third home run of the year traveled a Statcast-projected 401 feet with an exit velocity of 106.1 mph.

“I got a pitch over the middle of the plate,” Vogelbach said. “I was able to put a good swing on it and keep it fair down the line.”

The home run felt like it was the game-winning homer by the way his teammates reacted to the hit.

“We all were excited for him,” Tommy Pham said. “Because when you see a guy grinding like the way he has and to have some success like that, it’s just a huge relief for all of us. Kudos to Vogey.”

Said winning pitcher Tylor Megill, “I’m very happy for him. It’s been a tough stretch for him.”

But Friday was just one game. Saturday afternoon is another challenge for Vogelbach, who will likely face Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright. Still, Vogelbach has the support of his team as he tries to navigate his way out of the rough stretch.

“Nobody likes to see one of your teammates or your players going through a tough time in a lot of ways,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Daniel, he cares a lot and so do his teammates about him. I’ve seen all the work he does trying to get back [in rhythm].”