CHICAGO — Mets Bounce Back with a Thrilling Win

After a tough 54-hour break, the Mets returned to the field Tuesday night, eager to shake off their recent struggles.

Despite an uncomfortable start from David Peterson and some shaky defense, they managed to rally, especially after the Reds suffered a defeat against the Pirates.

With the Cubs having tied the game, it was Francisco Alvarez who came through with the decisive hit of his career.

Currently, the Mets hold the third wild card spot in the National League, although they faced another setback with a loss just before this matchup.

They now sit one game ahead of the Reds, who fell 4-2 in their recent game. However, it’s worth noting that the Reds have the tiebreaker advantage over the Mets due to their head-to-head record.

Alvarez wowed the crowd by hitting a homer that cleared the ivy in left-center with two outs in the eighth inning. Just two days prior, he had a potential game-winning homer snatched away by Jacob Young of the Nationals.

Brandonnimo also contributed significantly, hitting a crucial homer that fueled a comeback from a 6-1 deficit.

Manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Edwin Diaz, trusting him for the save, and he delivered impeccably.

Unfortunately, Peterson’s rough outing included just 1⅓ innings pitched, allowing five hits and walking two. His recent performances have been dismal, with four of his last eight starts giving up at least six earned runs.

Francisco Lindor got the game started with a bang, hitting a leadoff homer in the left-center bleachers. This marked his 10th leadoff shot of the season and brought his total to 29 for the year, closing in on the 30-homer mark alongside Juan Soto and Pete Alonso.

However, the Cubs quickly capitalized on Peterson’s struggles and a defensive error, allowing Carlos Santana to hit a two-run double. A misplay in right field by Van Soto could have ended the inning, but instead, Horner and Kelly advanced the Cubs to a 2-1 lead.

Things got worse for Peterson when Ian Happ’s two-run double in the third extended the Cubs’ lead to 5-1, followed by an RBI single from Hoerner after a walk to Justin Turner.

Jeff McNeil’s error compounded the issues, making it a 6-1 game as he mishandled a grounder when trying to make a double play.

Nimmo sparked hope for the Mets with a three-run homer that tied the game at 6-6 after a couple of runs crossed the plate that inning. He responded to reliever Taylor Rogers with a long shot that cleared the right field wall, putting him at 25 homers for the season.

In an unfortunate turn, Dancey Swanson’s error allowed the Mets to score five runs in that inning, with Alonso driving in two after a walk to Soto.

With Lindor’s subsequent single, the Mets took a 7-6 lead following a double from McNeil and a walk to Alvarez.

Later, Horner connected for a two-out single, prompting a pitching change to Tyler Rodgers. Seiya Suzuki then tied the game with an RBI single.

With two outs in the seventh, Turner faced off against Rodgers, but Brooks Raley managed to subdue the threat by avoiding disaster.

In the eighth inning, Baty helped the Mets regain the lead at 9-7 after Alvarez faced off against Caleb Teelver, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish.