NEW YORK – David Peterson pitched a one-hitter over six innings for his first win in two months, and the New York Mets beat the Cubs at home for the first time in exactly four years with a 5-2 win over Chicago on Monday night. .
Dominic Smith homered for the Mets, who snapped Chicago’s five-game win streak in the first of a four-game series between NL division leaders. New York scored all of its runs with two outs and ended a string of seven mishaps at Citi Field against the Cubs that began on May 31, 2018.
Peterson (2-5) was 0-4 with a 6.32 ERA in his last nine starts, including 0-2 with a 9.88 earned run in his four most recent appearances. But he only allowed the single in the third inning to Eric Sogard – whom he then retired with a twist to second – and a walk to Sergio Alcantara to open the sixth inning. The southpaw struck out three on an efficient 73 pitch.
Jake Arrieta (5-7) held the pitching duel with Peterson until the fourth inning, when Smith – in a 20-0 slump – singled for New York’s first hit. He advanced to second to walk Billy McKinney with two outs and scored on James McCann’s single.
Kevin Pillar followed with a two-touchdown double to left center field to extend the lead.
Smith blew the wall in the fifth inning and Pillar and Luis Guillorme walked back-to-back at-bats in the sixth before pinch-hitter Brandon Drury sounded an RBI single.
Anthony Rizzo and Patrick Wisdom hit back-to-back home runs off Trevor May in the seventh inning before Aaron Loup retired all four of his opponents. Edwin Díaz reached 13 saves by striking out all three opponents in the ninth inning.
For the Mets, Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor 3-0. Venezuelans Jonathan Villar 3-0; Luis Guillorme 2-0.
For the Cubs, Willson Contreras 4-0. The Dominican Sergio Alcántara 2-0. Puerto Rican Javier Báez 1-0.
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