CHICAGO — Pete Alonso blasted his nineteenth house run of the season Thursday evening at Wrigley Field to maintain his 60-homer tempo alive, however the Mets had gained the sport lengthy earlier than that.
The dropping streak wouldn’t be extended this time because the membership salvaged a three-game sequence by routing the Chicago Cubs, 10-1.
“We didn’t play the kind of baseball that we wanted to the last two days, so to get this win is big,” mentioned second baseman Jeff McNeil. “We’re going to carry that on to Colorado.”
The Mets (26-25) hit the Chicago bullpen exhausting. They spoiled the season debut for Kyle Hendricks and obtained a powerful efficiency from Carlos Carrasco.
The veteran right-hander wanted a efficiency like this as dangerous because the Mets did. The right-hander was hit exhausting to start out the season and bone spurs in his elbow landed him on the injured listing. His first outing after coming off the IL towards his former Cleveland crew left many questioning whether or not or not the Mets might maintain him within the rotation.
But the pitcher they name Cookie held the Cubs (22-27) to only one run over 6 and a pair of/3 innings, marking his longest outing of the season. Carrasco allowed simply 5 hits, walked two and struck out 4.
For the primary time since final season, he was in a position to management all of his pitches.
“Finally, I could find my change and curveball,” Carrasco mentioned. “I could throw everything for strikes today. I know I got too many pitches deep in the game there, but I just wanted to go deep in the game. We used the bullpen for the last two games. That’s what I did. Everything was working really good today.”
The one run allowed was a solo homer by Dansby Swanson within the first inning, however Brandon Nimmo led off the underside of the body with a homer of his personal to even the rating. Carrasco cruised from there, solely operating into bother within the third when two singles and a stroll loaded the bases with two outs. But he obtained out of the jam by utilizing his changeup. Mike Tauchman rolled over it to floor out and finish the inning.
“That’s what I was looking for,” Carrasco mentioned. “Just getting an edge, getting control of that pitch, that’s really important for me because that’s what I’ve been using a lot and it worked pretty well.”
He retired the aspect so as within the fifth and sixth innings and got here again out for the seventh for the primary time this season. Adam Ottavino changed him with two out and one on and Carrasco got here off the sector along with his first win of the season (1-2) secured with the Mets up 7-1.
“Command was good, he had a good changeup,” mentioned supervisor Buck Showalter. “I thought he had crisp stuff his last time out but he couldn’t command it. He commanded it so much better and really attacked. He had use of all of his pitches today.”
Hendricks (0-1), the Cubs’ former employees ace, made his 2023 season debut Thursday, marking a return to motion since being sidelined final summer season with a shoulder pressure. The Mets doomed him with a two-out rally within the third inning, scoring three to go up 4-1. They scored once more within the fifth, with left-hander Brandon Hughes failing to maintain the inherited runners from scoring. A double steal was executed by McNeil and Alonso and an error by catcher Yan Gomes was made making an attempt to get McNeil at third.
The Chicago protection didn’t do Hendricks many favors and solely three of the 5 runs he gave up over 4 and 1/3 innings have been earned. Hughes saved the injury minimal however the Mets maximized it going through right-hander Michael Rucker.
Alonso’s two-run homer got here on the primary pitch Rucker threw him within the seventh inning to make it 7-1. A two-run triple by Nimmo within the eighth made it 9-1 and Francisco Lindor despatched him house with a single to cap the scoring.
“Guys didn’t let up,” McNeil mentioned. “We started pouring some runs on.”
Nimmo went 2-for-6 with a house run, two RBI and two runs. McNeil went 3-for-4 with three runs, a stroll and a steal. Alonso went 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI and two walks. Francisco Alvarez had his second two-hit sport in as many nights (2-for-4).
Mark Canha was the one participant within the Mets’ lineup who failed to achieve base.
It was an enormous evening for the guests, however presumably an excellent greater evening for Carrasco.
“We all know what he could mean to us and has the last year,” Showalter mentioned. “So to get him contributing like we know he can would mean a lot to our pitching staff.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com