For the first time in a three-game series this season, the Mets were swept, losing to the Chicago Cubs, 6-3, on Wednesday night.
Here are the takeaways...
- It was a start to forget for David Peterson who walked three straight hitters on full counts to start his night that put himself in immediate trouble. After striking out Patrick Wisdom, Peterson gave up a two-run double to Yan Gomes and a two-run double to P.J. Higgins that gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead before Peterson could even blink.
- That was it for Peterson as Buck Showalter had to go to his bullpen early, bringing in Trevor Williams. A double by Michael Hermosillo and a single by Nelson Velazquez brought in two more to close the book on Peterson. He went 0.1 innings, giving up five runs on two hits, three walks and struck out one to raise his ERA to 3.91. It was Peterson’s shortest outing of his career.
Williams finally got out of the first inning by striking out David Bote and Christopher Morel but the damage had already been done before the Mets ever stepped up to the plate.
- Fresh off of his first home run of the season in his last at-bat in Miami, Tomas Nido hit his second homer in as many at-bats in the third inning off Drew Smyly, a solo shot, to get the Mets on the board.
- Williams, who was a candidate to start Wednesday’s game instead of Peterson, settled in quite nicely, striking out six straight batters and seven of eight to keep New York in the game. He finished his outing by going 4.1 innings and gave up a run on four hits and one walk while striking out eight before giving way to Tommy Hunter in the fifth inning.
- In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Mets had runners on first and second after back-to-back singles by Eduardo Escobar and Darin Ruf started the inning. But, swinging on the first pitch, Nido grounded into a double play that quickly doused the potential rally. The Cubs did gift the Mets a run, though, after Wisdom let a Brandon Nimmo ground ball to third base scoot under his glove that scored Escobar.
- After Williams, the Mets’ bullpen continued to keep Chicago at bay with Hunter going 1.1 innings and striking out two. Trevor May pitched a scoreless seventh inning, Alex Claudio went 1.1 scoreless innings and Mychal Givens got the final two outs to give the Mets a chance.
- But no matter how well New York’s bullpen pitched, the Mets’ offense just couldn’t return the favor. In the seventh inning, Luis Guillorme and Nido hit back-to-back singles with two outs, but Nimmo grounded out weakly to the pitcher to end the threat. Then, leading off the eighth inning, Mark Canha singled to left field but was quickly erased on a Francisco Lindor ground ball double play.
- For the second straight night, Pete Alonso rocketed a solo home run that brought the Mets closer, but, much like on Tuesday night, it was too little too late.
- Down to their final three outs, Jeff McNeil began the inning with a hit-by-pitch. After Escobar gave one a ride to right-center field that was caught at the wall by Hermosillo, Guillorme grounded into the Mets’ third double play of the night to end the game.