Chicago @ New York preview
Citi Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 30, 2016 ) Chi. Cubs 3, NY Mets 4
The New York Mets swept Chicago in last year’s National League Championship Series, and now they’ve ended a lengthy regular-season losing streak against the Cubs. The Mets will try to make it two in a row when the teams continue a four-game series Friday at Citi Field.
New York took advantage of an untimely Javier Baez error in a three-run seventh inning and held on for a 4-3 win in the series opener, snapping a nine-game skid against the Cubs in the regular season. Chicago, which entered the series on a three-game winning streak, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners in the opener – including leaving the bases loaded in the ninth. Baez’s throwing error helped awaken a Mets offense that had managed only nine runs over its previous five games, which is nothing new for Friday starter Jacob deGrom. New York has gone 21 consecutive innings without scoring a run with deGrom on the mound, contributing to his going winless since April 30.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), SNY (New York), MLB Network
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jason Hammel (7-4, 2.58 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (3-4, 2.67)
Hammel is winless in his last four starts and has been hung with the loss in three of them. The 33-year-old was tagged with a tough-luck loss Sunday at Miami after allowing two runs and four hits over six innings. Hammel has struggled against the Mets, going 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in five regular-season meetings and taking the loss in the Game 4 of last year’s NLCS.
In 10 starts since his last win, deGrom has pitched to a 3.13 ERA and posted eight quality starts. The 28-year-old threw eight scoreless frames last time out at Atlanta but still didn’t get the win in a 1-0 victory. DeGrom is 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA in three regular-season starts versus the Cubs, but he beat them in the NLCS last October after allowing two runs and four hits over seven frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Cubs have hit home runs in the first inning of three consecutive games for the first time since July 24-27, 2012.
2. Mets RH Jeurys Familia, who worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the ninth Thursday, has converted 43 consecutive save chances dating to Aug. 1 – a franchise record and the longest active streak in the majors.
3. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is 17-for-40 during an 11-game hitting streak.
PREDICTION: Cubs 3, Mets 2