Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/16/22, Game 1): Mets 2, Cubs 1 F/11 – Mets Outlast Cubs in Extra Innings
After a rain-out on Friday the Cubs kicked off a split doubleheader against the Mets Saturday. Chicago played toe to toe with New York but they could not scratch out the winning run and lost in extra innings.
Marcus Stroman was very good in his second start off the injured list. He only allowed a single hit in his appearance, unfortunately, that hit was a run-scoring double from Pete Alonso in the 4th inning. Taijuan Walker had a similar quality start for New York surrendering just an RBI single to Frank Schwindel which tied the game in the bottom of the frame.
Pitching dominated the rest of the afternoon and the game went to extra innings. After the Cubs missed a golden opportunity to win it in the 10th inning, the Mets were able to move ahead on a sacrifice fly from Alonso in the 11th and closed out the win. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Lost
Nelson Velazquez was able to steal third with nobody out in the bottom of the 10th. The Cubs then struck out in consecutive at-bats. A ground-out ended the threat with no runs scoring.
Eye on the Future
- P.J. Higgins doubled and drew a walk playing third base Saturday.
- Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner, and Christopher Morel combined for two hits, no walks, and two strikeouts.
Stats That Matter
- Schwindel had a very productive return to the lineup with two hits and a walk.
- Stroman once again was good but did not go deep in the game: 4.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 6 K, and 2 BB.
Bottom Line
The Cubs had an excellent chance to break their losing streak and they could not get it done. David Ross clearly is frustrated with his second consecutive ejection Saturday. One piece of good news is that Stroman looks good and hopefully will be a contributor to a competitive season next year.
On Deck
The night cap of the doubleheader is Saturday at 7:05pm CT. Drew Smyly takes on Max Scherzer in a game airing on Marquee Sports Network and 670 The Score.
