Pete Alonso hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly the 11th inning and the visiting New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Alonso drove in both New York runs, giving him 76 RBIs with two games before the All-Star break. Alonso broke the previous team record held by former captain David Wright, who drove in 74 runs before the All-Star break in 2006.
New York won for the 10th time in 15 games, handed Chicago its eighth straight loss and improved to 8-1 in extra innings by scoring against Mychal Givens (5-1)
Francisco Lindor moved automatic runner Luis Guillorme to third by lining a single to right field. Guillorme beat the throw from Seiya Suzuki by going around catcher Willson Contreras and slapping his hand on the plate when Alonso lifted a fly ball to right field.
Adam Ottavino (4-2) was aided by his defense in his two scoreless innings.
Third baseman Eduardo Escobar started a double play on Frank Schwindel to end the ninth and made a diving stop on Christopher Morel’s grounder before first baseman J.D. Davis scooped the low throw out of the dirt to strand a runner at third.
Edwin Diaz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances. He struck out the first two hitters and stranded Morel at third following a stolen base when Ian Happ grounded out to end it.
Alonso also produced an RBI double in the fourth off former teammate Marcus Stroman
Schwindel hit an RBI single for Chicago, which has scored four runs in its past four games.
New York’s Taijuan Walker allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two before Seth Lugo and Drew Smith pitched a scoreless inning apiece.
In his second start back from missing a month due to shoulder inflammation, Stroman allowed one run and one hit in 4 1/3 innings against the team he made 44 starts for after being acquired from Toronto in July 2019.
The Mets went ahead on Alonso’s double to the ivy in right-center field in the top of the fourth. Chicago tied the game in the bottom half when Schwindel singled to right field under the diving attempt of Guillorme, as the second baseman was shifted to the shortstop side of the bag.
–Field Level Media