Mets win thriller, retake control of last wild card

CHICAGO -- The Mets person a batch of enactment to bash to fastener down a postseason return, but a desperately needed comeback astatine Wrigley Field connected Tuesday demonstrated 1 thing: From present connected out, New York is successful postseason mode.

"Needed that one," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said aft cataloging the large moments from his team's win. And how.

The grounds of New York's right-now postseason mindset was each implicit its 9-7, come-from-behind triumph implicit the flagging Chicago Cubs: A abbreviated stint by a starter. A agelong outing by a closer. A cathartic go-ahead homer from a beleaguered catcher. A rally from a shortage that the Mets hadn't flooded successful implicit 2 years.

For the Mets, the playoffs aren't here, but playoff shot already is.

"The lone happening that I'm focused astir is winning and getting backmost to the playoffs," Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez said done an interpreter. "Last year, we went to the playoffs and we had a heavy run, and I conscionable emotion the mode that that felt."

The Mets' triumph coincided with the Reds' 4-2 nonaccomplishment to last-place Pittsburgh, putting New York backmost into the sixth slot successful the NL playoff pecking bid aft Cincinnati nudged up of them connected Sunday. The Reds clasp the tiebreaker implicit New York should the teams decorativeness successful a tie.

Alvarez's two-run, eighth-inning blast disconnected Chicago reliever Caleb Thielbar capped a rally from an aboriginal 6-1 hole. Dating backmost to May 19, 2023, the Mets had mislaid 80 consecutive games successful which they trailed by 5 oregon much runs, according to ESPN Research

That it was Alvarez striking the cardinal stroke ignited the Mets' dugout, which erupted erstwhile the shot cleared the ivy-covered partition successful near halfway and settled into the bleachers. Alvarez stopped conscionable earlier reaching archetypal basal and turned to outcry astatine his teammates successful the dugout earlier rounding the bases.

Alvarez said helium yelled, "Let's go!" astatine the dugout, though helium past laughed successful a mode that suggested determination was different connection oregon 2 peppered successful there.

"That's who helium is, you know, and we provender disconnected that," Mendoza said. "Guys emotion it arsenic a team. We request that, you know? We request that spark. We request that energy."

The blast was Alvarez's 10th of a play successful which helium has battled manus injuries and a midseason stint successful the insignificant leagues. If the Mets tin get backmost to October, it'll each person been worthy it.

The Cubs jumped connected Mets starter David Peterson early, knocking him retired of the crippled aft helium allowed 5 runs connected 5 hits successful conscionable 1 1/3 innings, continuing a drawstring of lackluster outings that has near his ERA astatine 4.22, the archetypal clip it has been implicit 4 each season.

Yet, the Mets won, and Peterson, who has made each 30 of his appearances this play arsenic a subordinate of the New York rotation, has to hitch the slate clean. With 5 games to go, helium and everyone other connected the Mets' unit has to beryllium acceptable for anything.

"I don't person capable words to amusement my appreciation for what they did," Peterson said of the Mets' offense. "They picked maine up large time. We've got to triumph each crippled possible, and I volition bash everything that I tin to assistance this squad triumph ballgames."

The aforesaid holds existent for the Mets' bullpen, which held the Cubs to 2 runs, 1 earned, successful 7 2/3 innings aft Peterson was pulled. Alvarez's go-ahead homer didn't conscionable springiness the Mets the lead, it acceptable up prima person Edwin Diaz for his 3rd two-inning prevention of the season.

Diaz retired each six batters helium faced, striking retired 5 and throwing conscionable 27 pitches to get done his 2 frames. Yet helium knows that successful playoff mode, helium and each the Mets' different pitchers person to travel backmost connected Wednesday, acceptable to bash it each implicit again.

"Just get outs," Diaz said. "I deliberation each azygous feline successful the bullpen knows what they person to bash to get outs. Today, the bullpen did a re...