NEW YORK — In an exciting turn of events, Francisco Lindor’s critical home run ignited a powerful four-run surge in the eighth inning, propelling the New York Mets to a decisive 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. This victory helped the Mets stave off what could have been only their second home series loss of the season.
Lindor triumphantly broke a 2-2 deadlock against Cubs pitcher Porter Hodge, launching a full-count breaking ball into the stands beyond the right-center field wall. This remarkable homer came on the heels of the previous night’s game, in which a similar pitch from Hodge had resulted in a double play for Lindor during the Mets’ narrow 6-5 defeat.
The Mets’ offensive display continued with Mark Vientos, who smashed a home run against Chicago’s starting pitcher Matthew Boyd in the sixth inning. Vientos remained a force with the bat, contributing an RBI single in the eighth inning as well. Additionally, Brandon Nimmo extended the Mets’ lead by unleashing a two-run homer off Gavin Hollowell.
Thanks to this stellar eighth inning, the Mets bolstered their home record to an impressive 15-4 and celebrated their eighth series victory at Citi Field.
Earlier in the game, Luis Torrens put the Cubs on the scoreboard with an RBI triple in the second inning. However, he was later forced to leave in the sixth after being struck by a foul ball from Kyle Tucker.
Former Mets’ draft pick, Pete Crow-Armstrong, showcased his talent by hitting a home run off Griffin Canning in the sixth inning, with Nico Hoerner following up with a game-tying double in the seventh. Despite these efforts, the Cubs faced their fourth defeat in five games.
Key moments included Ryne Stanek (1-3) striking out Crow-Armstrong to secure the second out in a scoreless eighth inning. This set the stage for the Mets’ explosive bottom half of the inning, while Garrett kept the score tied by efficiently retiring Dansby Swanson and Justin Turner in the seventh.
Significantly, the Cubs struggled against Canning’s changeup, going 0-for-7. Meanwhile, all five of Vientos’ home runs this season have come against left-handed pitchers, continuing his success against southpaws from the previous season.
Looking ahead, the Chicago Cubs will kick off a new series at home against the Miami Marlins on Monday, with Cubs pitcher Colin Rea (2-0, 2.43 ERA) set to face off against Miami’s Cal Quantrill (2-3, 7.11 ERA). Meanwhile, the Mets will host the Pittsburgh Pirates, as Mets pitcher David Peterson (2-2, 3.05 ERA) takes on Paul Skenes (3-4, 2.77 ERA) in the first of their three-game series.