Mets win goes away in Chicago

A good way to salvage something from the last series in the hostile confines.

• By
  
  Lucas Vlahos
  

• in May 25, 2023 10:33 PM

After a couple of frustrating losses that probably made you wonder if the Met’s recent renaissance was a flash in the pan, the Mets earned a laugh against the 10-1 Cubs. Carlos Carrasco looked as good as he has in a long time and the offense was humming, making this one look easy.

Both teams traded runs in the first, the Mets on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Brett Baty and the Cubs on a solo home run by Dansby Swanson. However, it was basically all the Mets from then on. With two out in the third, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso singled to set up a rally. Brett Baty followed with a one-scoring single and a throwing error allowed him to advance to second. Starling Marte capped it off with a fourth straight two-out single, and the Mets led 4–1.

They didn’t finish scoring either. McNeil and Alonso got back on base in the fifth, and McNeil ran home on a throwing error after stealing third. Pete Alonso added another on a solo shot in the seventh, an impressive drive to the opposite field for his 19th of the season. Three more runs in the eighth, highlighted by a double by Francisco Álvarez and a triple by Brandon Nimmo, ended the game for good. Tucker Barnhart, the Cubs’ backup catcher, pitched the ninth inning and the Mets didn’t score, but it was nice comic relief nonetheless.

Perhaps even more significant than the offensive rush was the performance of Carlos Carrasco. The veteran looked horrible all season, but he pitched 6.2 innings of one run. He certainly managed to weather a few issues, notably a bases-loaded jam in the third, but overall he looked as impressive as he has in recent memory. Carrasco being a competent No. 4 starter instead of a total liability who gets DFA’d in July would be a boon to a Met pitching staff that has been somewhere south of poor this season.

With the win, the Mets are back over .500 with a 26-25 mark. They will head to Colorado for a three-game series starting tomorrow night with Max Scherzer taking on Connor Seabold.

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Chance to win added

What is WPA?

Mets Big Winner: Carlos Carrasco, +17.2% WPA
Mets Big Loser: None
Mets pitchers: +17.7% WPA
Mets hitters: +32.3% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Starling Marte hits a two-run single in the third, +16.1% WPA
the sux0rest game: Dansby Swanson homers in first, -10.6% WPA

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