Field Level Media
Jul 17, 2022
Nico Hoerner's third hit of the day brought home the tiebreaking run as the Chicago Cubs scored twice in the eighth to snap their nine-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the visiting New York Mets on Sunday.
Down 2-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, Christopher Morel and Willson Contreras opened with back-to-back singles off New York reliever Drew Smith (1-3). Chicago tied the contest on Ian Happ's RBI groundout, and eventually went ahead on Hoerner's line-drive single to center field, with Contreras just beating the tag at the plate from Brandon Nimmo's throw.
David Robertson induced a game-ending, 5-4-3 double play for his 13th save, keeping the Cubs from going into the All-Star Break with their fourth losing streak of at least 10 games since June 25, 2021.
Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor each had two hits for the Mets, who were trying for a fifth consecutive victory and first sweep of at least four games at Wrigley Field since 1970. New York had a chance to extend its lead in the top of the eighth, but Lindor was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Nelson Velazquez on Eduardo Escobar's single.
After retiring Nimmo to open the game, Chicago's Adrian Sampson allowed back-to-back singles to Marte and Lindor. Marte eventually made it home after the Cubs were unable to get Lindor out in a rundown on a double-steal attempt for a 1-0 New York lead.
Chicago tied the game when New York starter David Peterson issued a bases-loaded walk to Patrick Wisdom in the fourth. However, Pete Alonso's bloop RBI single to right field in the top of the fifth put the Mets back on top.
Despite allowing those two runs, plus six hits and three walks, Sampson completed 5 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, the run Peterson yielded was unearned; he gave up three hits and three walks over five innings, striking out eight.
Rowan Wick (2-5) picked up the win for Chicago after pitching a scoreless eighth.
--Field Level Media