CHICAGO — Pete Alonso blasted his 19th home run of the season Thursday night at Wrigley Field to keep his 60-homer pace alive, but the Mets had won the game long before that.
The losing streak wouldn’t be prolonged this time as the club salvaged a three-game series by routing the Chicago Cubs 10-1.
The Mets (26-25) hit the Chicago bullpen hard. They spoiled the season debut for Kyle Hendricks and got a strong performance from Carlos Carrasco.
The veteran right-hander needed a performance like this as bad as the Mets did. The right-hander was hit hard to start the season and bone spurs in his elbow landed him on the injured list. His first outing after coming off the IL against his former Cleveland team left many questioning whether or not the Mets could keep him in the rotation.
Pete Alonso celebrates with teammates on Thursday night.
Pete Alonso celebrates with teammates on Thursday night. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
But the pitcher they call Cookie held the Cubs (22-27) to just one run over 6 and 2/3 innings, marking his longest outing of the season. Carrasco allowed just five hits, walked two and struck out four.
The one run allowed was a solo homer by Dansby Swanson in the first inning, but Brandon Nimmo led off the bottom of the frame with a homer of his own to even the score. Carrasco cruised from there, only running into trouble in the third when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs. But he got out of the jam by inducing a groundout.
He retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth innings and came back out for the seventh for the first time this season. Adam Ottavino replaced him with two out and one on and Carrasco came off the field with his first win of the season (1-2) secured with the Mets up 7-1.
Hendricks (0-1), the Cubs’ former staff ace, made his 2023 season debut Thursday, marking a return to action since being sidelined last summer with a shoulder strain. The Mets doomed him with a two-out rally in the third inning, scoring three to go up 4-1. They scored again in the fifth, with left-hander Brandon Hughes failing to keep the inherited runners from scoring. A double steal was executed by Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso and an error by catcher Yan Gomes was made trying to get McNeil at third.
The Chicago defense didn’t do Hendricks many favors and only three of the five runs were earned. He lasted only 4 and 1/3 innings. Hughes kept the damage minimal but the Mets maximized it facing right-hander Michael Rucker.
Alonso’s two-run homer came on the first pitch Rucker threw him in the seventh inning to make it 7-1. A two-run triple by Nimmo in the eighth made it 9-1 and Francisco Lindor sent him home with a single to cap the scoring.
Nimmo went 2-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and two runs. McNeil went 3-for-4 with three runs, a walk and a steal. Alonso went 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI and two walks. Francisco Alvarez had his second two-hit game in as many nights (2-for-4).
Mark Canha was the only player in the Mets’ lineup who failed to reach base.
It was a big night for the visitors, but possibly an even bigger night for Carrasco.
