There were no guarantees based on sequencing, but the Mets drew an awfully short stick for extra innings. You know, just how things go when your team is tailspinning. When Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out to end the ninth, it meant he’d be the placed runner to start the 10th. Once Caleb Thielbar escaped the top of the inning, I had a strong feeling the Cubs would win. PCA’s speed is a real weapon in that spot. The wild pitch that sent him to third would advance most baserunners. But the medium depth fly ball wouldn’t score just anyone. Very few guys in baseball would have scored that easily.
I’m going to be surprised if this Mets team goes down like the Hindenburg. I wouldn’t write any obituaries for them just yet. But everything is going wrong for them right now. Even when they got good a start Saturday and a good opener/bulk inning performance, they couldn’t turn either into a win. They got a little pitching over the weekend, but they just didn’t get any hitting. That reminded me of where the Cubs were regularly during this year’s opening week. This is why we cherish those wins that we do get when things aren’t going right.
Even now, this Cub team has to feel fortunate to be where it is sitting. With Cade Horton gone, Matthew Boyd largely non-existent, and the struggles from key offensive players, this isn’t yet a formidable Cub team. This team isn’t going to be anywhere near 90 wins with this little production from Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki and PCA. One assumes that Nico Hoerner isn’t going to drive in 160 runs or that Ian Happ is going to hit 40 homers. Moisés Ballesteros is probably not going to have an OPS in the vicinity of 1.000. We can hope that as the hot starters cool off that the cool starters will roll in.
Until that happens, enjoy every win this team is able to stack. With this win, they are on a 92.6 win pace. It definitely gets harder from here. But it starts with a Phillies team that has had some recent struggles of its own, including getting manhandled Tuesday and Wednesday by the Cubs to start this winning streak.
It’s always fun to recap a game like this. In a 2-1 extra-inning victory, every contribution is a key contribution. Behind every key I note and all of the heroes are even more pieces that mattered. Any one contribution falling away probably loses a game.
Ian Happ reached base three times (the Cubs reached only 11). One of those led to the tying run.
Javier Assad faced 20 batters over 5.2 innings and allowed only three hits, no walks and one run.
PCA had a triple and was hit by a pitch. He scored the winning run with his legs even after they’d gotten him in trouble twice earlier in the game.
Hat tip to the no-name brigade out of the Cub pen. Four Cub relievers threw 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks.
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
Superhero: Michael Conforto (.491). 1-1, 2B, RBI
WPA Play of the Game: Michael Conforto’s one-out double in the ninth scored the tying run from first. (.491)
*Mets Play of the Game: MJ Melendez led off the fifth inning with a solo homer. (.144)
Game 20 Winner: Carson Kelly received 139 of 171 votes.
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Up Next: The Cubs will try to win a sixth straight game. The Phillies come to town. The Cubs just won the last two in Philly to start this streak. Over these last six games, these two teams have moved as mirror images. The Phillies were swept over the weekend and have lost five straight. They are now 8-13. So once again, the Cubs will look to take advantage of catching a team at exactly the right time.
Colin Rea (2-0, 3.63, 17.1 IP) makes his second start for the Cubs. Last Tuesday he was the “bulk guy” against the Phillies after Riley Martin threw a scoreless first as the opener. Rea allowed three runs on four hits and no walks over six in that one. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes with him seeing them twice back-to-back. Aaron Nola (1-1, 4.03, 22.1 IP) was the opposition in that game. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings. The Phils bullpen allowed seven runs (six earned) over only four innings in that one.