This was a one-run game that the Mets were never in.
Jacob deGrom took the mound at Wrigley Field, resplendent with new video boards and refurbished bleachers. He may as well have been back at Yankee Stadium, though. After hitting Dexter Fowler on the knee with the fourth pitch of the game, Kris Bryant christened those new bleachers with his first Wrigley Field home run — the sound off the bat was a disheartening ka-POW! — and Anthony Rizzo followed with a shot of his own on the very next pitch.
That made the score 3-0, but it felt like 30-0. The Mets, for their part couldn’t solve Jon Lester, forever swinging at pitches in the dirt. Until the fourth inning, that is. With one out, Michael Cuddyer coaxed a walk. Lucas Duda then rifled the Mets first hit of the night into right center. After a groundout by Wilmer Flores put runners at first and third, Kevin Plawecki singled up the middle and the Mets were on the board. In the bottom half of the inning, that run was given right back. Chris Coghlan led off with a base hit. David Ross then dropped an ill-advised bunt. He was trying for a hit, and actually got the call at first, but eagle-eyed Terry Collins and the replay boys would have none of it and the call was overturned. After Lester struck out, Addison Russell lined a base hit to right to make the score 4-1.
The Mets had an opportunity in the fifth when deGrom led off with a generously-called infield single. Juan Lagares then hit a double-play ball to short that was cuffed by Starlin Castro and he could only get the force on deGrom. Lagares then stole second and was stranded there. In the sixth, though, the Mets climbed most of the way back. Duda led off the inning with a shot to Bryantville in the left field seats and Flores followed with one of his own to about the same area. That made the score 4-3, and that was when all luck deserted the Mets.
Hansel Robles, Sean Gilmartin and Buddy Carlyle conspired to snuff out a nascent Cubs rally in the seventh. In the eighth, Cuddyer led off with a rope single to center. Lefty Zac Rosscup came in to face Duda who hit a sizzler that had “double” written all over it, except that Rizzo snared it over his head while standing on the base to double Cuddyer.
After Eric Goeddel held the Cubs off, Curtis Granderson led off the ninth with a pinch-hit walk against closer Hector Rondon. Dilson Herrera then hit a blistering liner that Castro dove to his left for and snared in the webbing. Johnny Monell then ended it, pinch-hitting into a conventional double-play.
Hey, doesn’t Noah Syndergaard pitch tomorrow?
While the loss stinks, Duda hit the ball hard multiple times which is great to see, and the Mets put up a fight late. Even deGrom’s day could’ve been much worse when you consider the first inning. I’m certianly not loving what we’re getting from him right now, but at least he’s shown composure and ability to keep the Mets in the game despite not pitching well.
They lost by one run when:
1. Their starting pitcher struggled with command, walking four in five innings
2. They hit several balls on the nose that found gloves.
3. The Cubs had their “ace” on the mound.
4. Terry Collins had deGrom lead off the fifth, even though he had a high pitch count already and then allowed Mayberry to hit with one out in the seventh against a righty with Kirkkk and Granny on the bench. Isn’t ironic how he shows confidence in certain scrubs but doesn’t show any in his higher profiled youngsters?
The wind is supposed to be blowing in the next three days. That should hurt the Cubbies power, so let’s see how they do without it.
Allowing Mayberry to hit….the choice of Tejada as a PH with 2 out/man on first—those were head scratchers for Me.
deGrom looked best in his last inning…. he looked sluggish most of the night. The Ball/Strike calls were squeezing both pitchers…. very few “pitcher’s pitches” called for strikes.
Thank you Eraff, I forgot that one. Two outs, man on on first. With the wind blowing out, he wanted to get Tejada going. This guy has an agenda.
To be fair, Tejada was killing the ball the last 2 days. You know how Terry likes “hot” guys…
I’m sorry Charlie, but that move was plain inexcusable. You have two outs and a man on first. Wind blowing out. What is Tejada going to do, get a single? So, now there has to be another hit to score the run, when you have a power hitter that perfect for this situation sitting on your bench?
Flores hits his team leading 4th homerun. He has a .714 OPS and is in the top ten among shortstops on OPS. Saturday Tejada turns two on a play Flores can’t make. My gut reaction is to get Tulo and end this tom foolery. Tulo would be Sandy’s Carter.
Tejada PH instead of Recker with the wind blowing out and down 1 run?
The secondary bullpen pieces, Robles, Gilmartin, Carlyle and Goedell pitched well again. What a change since 1 year ago when the bullpen was a mess and Mejia and Familia stepped into their roles.
It’s interesting to me, Charlie, that you thought the Mets were never in this game. I felt like with the Cubs’ pen we were in it until the last out. We had runners on base and hard hit balls that found fielders’ gloves.
I’m disappointed that we lost but not discouraged.
When you get smacked around in the first inning like that, it kind of takes the steam out of the night, y’know?
Maybe if Rizzo hadn’t pulled a Lundquist on Duda’s shot…or if Castro had kept his eyes open on Herrera’s, I might have felt differently…
2 for 7 on hard hit balls, when league avg is .700. We were unlucky last night. We played well. File it under one of those 60 losses every team is going to have.