The Mets and Cubs were in the thick of a pitcher's duel until the sixth inning, when a three-run shot from a pinch-hitting Carson Kelly gave Chicago the go-ahead hit in New York's 4-2 loss on Saturday afternoon.

Freddy Peralta and three relievers combined to allow only five Cubs hits, but two were home runs and accounted for all four Chicago runs.

The Mets have now lost 10 games in a row, the longest since 2004.

Here are the takeaways....

-The Mets' offensive explosion -- by their standards -- from Friday carried over early. Francisco Lindor hit a two-out single before Luis Robert Jr. smoked a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. MJ Melendez, who started his Mets tenure 4-for-7, lofted a fly ball to left as the Cubs got out of the inning.

Unlike Friday's game, the wind -- especially in left -- was coming in. A few balls hit that way died in midair, but it didn't matter to Mark Vientos. The slugger, who started at first base, smashed a 433-foot blast to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. The homer came off the bat at 110 mph. It's just the Mets' second home run in the last six games. The Mets made Cubs starter Jameson Taillon work hard in the first three innings, but the veteran right-hander settled down, getting through six innings without giving up another run.

Taillon tossed 100 pitches (61 strikes), allowing the one run on five hits, three walks and striking out four batters.

-Peralta was on the mound and facing a team that knows him very well from his time with the Brewers. Ian Happ took him deep to tie the game at 1-1 in the second inning, but there wasn't much doing for the Cubs lineup against Peralta. However, Peralta just wasn't efficient enough to give the Mets length.

After getting two outs in the sixth, he walked back-to-back batters and his day was done.

Brooks Raley came on in relief and Cubs manager Craig Counsell pinch-hit Moises Ballesteros, who is having a good series, for Kelly. Kelly ambushed Raley, launching the first-pitch cutter that had way too much plate 405 feet over the wall to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. It's the first time a pinch-hitter launched a homer on the first pitch this season. It also put a bow on Peralta's line.

The Mets ace went 5.2 innings (93 pitches/54 strikes), allowing three runs on three hits, two walks, while striking out three.

-Although the Mets lineup struggled to string together hits, they were a bit unlucky as well. Marcus Semien smashed a pitch to left field that Happ made a leaping grab near the left field wall. It was hit at 103.5 mph and would have been out in six ballparks, but the wind and where it was hit knocked it down.

That luck turned in the eighth. After Bo Bichette picked up a single, a ball that bounced off Ben Brown, Lindor picked up his second hit of the game when Dansby Swanson mishandled the grounder. Robert hit a grounder that could have been a doubleplay, but the slow-developing play allowed Robert to reach first safely after Swanson's throw took Michael Busch off the bag. Melendez struck out, but Francisco Alvarez muscled a grounder between second and first base that Nico Hoerner stopped from going into the outfield, but his throw pulled Busch off the bag, and pushed the Mets' second run of the game, but couldn't get any more.

In the ninth, Tommy Pham, pinch-hitting for Brett Baty against the left-hander Caleb Thielbar, struck out to lead off the inning. Semien struck out and Tyrone Taylor, pinch-hitting for Carson Benge, flew out to end the game. The Mets outhit the Cubs 7-5 but were 0-for-6 with RISP and left eight runners on.

-Baty, starting in right field after a tough game defensively at first on Friday, went 0-for-2 but drew his first walk of the season.

Game MVP: Carson Kelly

Kelly's home run was the difference in this game

Here are the takeaways....

Game MVP: Carson Kelly

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