CHICAGO — The Mets struggled in the first inning Saturday behind Tyler Megill’s worst inning of the season, and things didn’t get any better in the second.
Starling Marte grounded out in the second inning, and when the Mets got back on the defensive, the 35-year-old outfielder was not among the nine players to man the plate.
The Mets said Marte left the game with a sore right knee, which could hinder a lineup that has performed at a high level over the past week.
Overall, it was an afternoon to forget for the Mets, who lost 8-1 to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The Mets suffered their second loss in three games but still have a chance to win their fourth straight on Sunday.
The Mets have taken a cautious approach this season, giving Marte rest days to protect his leg.
Most recently, the Mets began a three-game series on the grass at Globe Life Field on Monday in Texas.
Due to Marte’s knee issues, DJ Stewart moved to right field (he played left field that day) and Tyrone Taylor filled in as the defensive replacement in left field.
Marte missed a lot of playing time last year, but has played in 66 games this season and has remained relatively healthy.
He started the day with a .279 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, .418 slugging percentage, seven home runs, 30 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
Megil’s day was a mess.
The right-hander had his worst performance of the season, striking out six while allowing five hits, three walks and six earned runs in three innings.
This performance resulted in Megill’s ERA being reduced to a season-worst 4.81.
This was the second time in his last three starts that he failed to pitch five innings.
Megill was blitzed in the first inning, when the Cubs sent nine batters to home plate and scored five runs.
Megill threw 38 pitches in the inning and was on the verge of being replaced before recording the third out as left-hander Danny Young warmed up in the bullpen.
After two of Megill’s first three batters (Nico Hoerner and Cody Bellinger) reached base on walks, Seiya Suzuki hit a one-run single.
Ian Happ’s RBI grounder scored the second run of the inning, and with two outs Megill allowed three consecutive hits.
Christopher Morrell hit an RBI single to put the Cubs up 3-0, then Dansby Swanson doubled to score another run.
Former Mets prospect Pete “Crowe” Armstrong hit an RBI triple to put the Mets ahead, 5-0, before Megill got former battery-mate Tomas Nido out to end the inning.
Megill walked Bellinger in the second inning but didn’t do any further damage, striking out three batters in the inning.
But Morrell hit a home run in the third inning to extend the Cubs’ lead to 6-0.
Megill struck out three in the inning, but was replaced by Young after the Mets came to bat.
Francisco Alvarez hit his second home run of the second game in a row in the fifth inning against Jameson Taillon to put the Mets up 6-1.
Alvarez, who was on the disabled list for seven weeks prior to the series, had not hit a home run since March 30.
Nido hit an RBI double off Adrian Houser in the sixth inning to put the Mets up 7-1. It was Nido’s first hit in a Cubs uniform after he was released by the Mets two days earlier and signed with the Cubs on Wednesday.
The Cubs’ eighth run came on an infield single by Bellinger and a throwing error by Pete Alonso.
