The game was effectively decided before the third inning began. Chicago's five-run second inning against Kodai Senga set the tone at Citi Field on Tuesday, and the Cubs never relinquished the lead in a 9-6 win over the Mets before 35,668 fans.
Dansby Swanson was the offensive catalyst for Chicago, going 2-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. He drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning as the Cubs built their early advantage, then extended the lead with a two-run homer to left in the fourth. Pete Crow-Armstrong added a three-run homer to right center — 409 feet — also in the second, finishing 1-for-3 with 3 RBI. Carson Kelly reached base four times, scored three runs, and drove in two more.
The second inning unraveled quickly for New York. Suzuki scored on a walk by Kelly to give Chicago a 1-0 lead — the go-ahead run. Happ scored on Swanson's sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Then Crow-Armstrong's three-run shot to right center put the Cubs ahead 5-0. The Mets answered in the bottom half when Alvarez singled to center, scoring Baty and Semien to cut the deficit to 5-2. Chicago pushed the margin to 7-2 in the fourth on Swanson's two-run homer, and added two more in the eighth on a Kelly double that scored Hoerner and a Swanson double that scored Kelly.
Senga absorbed the damage, lasting just 3.2 innings and allowing 7 runs on 3 hits and 5 walks while striking out 6. He fell to 0-6 with a 10.08 ERA. Edward Cabrera earned the win for Chicago, going 5.0 innings and allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. He is now 5-4 with a 5.10 ERA. In this start, Cabrera crossed 500 career innings pitched.
Francisco Alvarez provided the Mets' best individual effort, going 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the seventh and finishing with 3 RBI. Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer to right center in the ninth, and Carson Benge singled home a run, but the rally fell short. New York has dropped two straight and sits at 34-43, fifth in the division. Chicago moved to 40-37. Marcus Semien, who scored in the second inning, is now 2 runs away from 1,000 career runs scored.