Late scoring barrage leads Cubs to win over Mets |
QUEENS — It took them a while to get going, but once the Chicago Cubs came alive at the plate, they did not let up. Scoring seven runs combined in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to overcome a 2-0 deficit and top the New York Mets by a final score of 7-4, the Cubs won for the sixth time in their last eight games.
Prior to the seventh frame, the Cubs missed out on several scoring opportunities. Anthony Rizzo grounded into an inning-ending double play when the Cubs boasted runners on first and second in the first inning, and the struggles with men on base snowballed from there for Chicago. Mets starter Zack Wheeler produced a decent start, giving up seven hits and two walks in six innings pitched, and the Mets' decision to pull him from the game early on in the seventh culminated in the Cubs' scoring barrage. After Wheeler gave up back-to-back singles to begin the seventh, placing runners on the corners with no outs, reliever Paul Sewald entered and allowed three runs to score. The first two runs for the Cubs, both of which were charged to Wheeler, came on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Schwarber and a double by Ben Zobrist, respectively. Addison Russell motored home and beat out a throw from the outfield to give the Cubs their first run, and Tommy La Stella then came around to score on Zobrist's two-bagger to deep right-center. Zobrist hit leadoff for the second night in a row and also obtained three hits for the second consecutive evening, going 3-4 at the plate. The Cubs' Kris Bryant went 3-4, as well, and his RBI single with two outs in the seventh scored Zobrist, giving the Cubs their first lead of the ballgame. The Mets led 2-0 entering the seventh, with leadoff man Brandon Nimmo's two-run homer in the third inning providing New York with an early advantage. The round-tripper from Nimmo served as the only conspicuous blemish in a 5.1-inning start by Cubs pitcher Tyler Chatwood. Struggling mightily in recent weeks, Chatwood showed signs of improvement in a four-hit, four-walk outing against the Mets. New York's bullpen gave up all five of Chicago's runs in the series-opening win for the Cubs on Thursday, and the struggles for the Mets' relief pitching continued on Friday. Mets skipper Mickey Callaway opted to leave Sewald in the game for the eighth inning, and he proceeded to give up a three-run home run to Schwarber. Clearing the wall in left, Schwarber's 11th homer of the year traveled 365 feet and scored Albert Almora, Jr., and Willson Contreras to put the Cubs ahead 6-2. Things you love to see. pic.twitter.com/FQNK2wuoTy Schwarber drove in four runs on the night to increase his RBI total to 28. As for Almora, Jr., he was effective in the win, too, going 3-4 and producing a web gem on a sliding grab in center to add to his already-substantial highlight reel of stellar plays made in the outfield this season. Oh my gosh. The Mets shaved two runs off their deficit in the bottom half of the eighth via a two-run single by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez off Cubs reliever Brian Duensing. Leading 6-4 heading into the ninth, the Cubs tacked on an insurance run to go up by three in the final frame. Rizzo doubled off Mets closer Jeurys Familia and, two at-bats later, scored on an RBI single from Ian Happ. Chicago closer Brandon Morrow picked up the save for the second time in as many games by making quick work of the Mets in the bottom of the ninth. Morrow now has 14 saves to his name in his first season as Cub. Winning 7-4, the Cubs (31-23) tallied 16 hits against the Mets (27-28), who amassed just six hits. Cubs reliever Randy Rosario (2-0) tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless ball to earn the win, and Sewald (0-4) received the loss for his four-run meltdown.
We are sooooo surprised. pic.twitter.com/r0vTvfqo3r
