Pete Alonso homered in consecutive at-bats and tied a career-high with six RBIs as the New York Mets withstood a long rain delay and snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-2 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.
In their first home game since trading Justin Verlander, Mark Canha and Tommy Pham at last week’s deadline, the Mets (51-61) avoided matching their longest skid this season. New York dropped seven straight June 2-9 when it fell under .500.
Alonso connected in the first and third innings against Drew Smyly (8-8). It was his fourth multi-homer game this year and third since the All-Star break. The first baseman also got his 18th career multi-homer game to move into sole possession of third on New York’s career list behind Darryl Strawberry (22) and former captain David Wright (21).
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Alonso’s first homer carried over the left-center wall for a three-run shot that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the first. His two-run shot to center made it 5-1.
Those were Alonso’s third and fourth homers in 14 career at-bats against Smyly, and the slugger has 13 homers in 25 games against Chicago.
Kodai Senga (8-6) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings for his first win since July 5 and first home win since May 30 against Philadelphia. Senga had been 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA since beating Arizona, and the Mets scored at least five runs in one of his starts for the first time since an 8-3 win at Pittsburgh on June 10.
Senga came out to start the seventh in heavy rain but was pulled before throwing a pitch because of a wet mound. The game was delayed several minutes as Senga threw warmups, slipped throwing a pitch and manager Buck Showalter came out twice.
Cubs News
After Showalter’s second trip, Senga was pulled and the grounds crew quickly put the tarp on the field.
Following a rain delay of 2 hours, 9 minutes, Danny Mendick hit a three-run homer in the seventh and Alonso hit an RBI single in the eighth on a 44 mph pitch from catcher Tucker Barnhart. It was the second time Alonso drove in six.
Before the delay, the Mets scored twice in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Jonathan Araúz and a double-play grounder by Brandon Nimmo that scored Jeff McNeil.
Cody Bellinger hit a pair of RBI singles for the playoff-contending Cubs, who lost for only the fifth time in 20 games.
Smyly tied a season-high by allowing seven runs. He gave up eight hits in five-plus innings for his first career loss against the Mets. The left-hander had been 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in seven previous appearances versus New York.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: Marcus Stroman (right hip inflammation) will throw a bullpen Tuesday and manager David Ross is optimistic the right-hander can return from the injured list when eligible. … RHP Brad Boxberger (strained right forearm) will face hitters Tuesday at the team’s complex in Arizona.
Mets: OF Starling Marte was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain. … Slumping 3B Brett Baty was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
UP NEXT
Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (6-6, 5.36 ERA) opposes Mets RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 6.60) on Tuesday night. Taillon is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his last five starts.