Mets Resurrect Playoff Hopes Behind Alvarez’s Heroics in 9-7 Win Over the Cubs
The Mets opened their series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday with a reinvigorating win that thrust them back into control of their postseason destiny.
Down five runs early, stumbling through defensive miscues and a short outing from their starter, New York fought back and beat the Cubs, 9-7—a night sealed by Francisco Alvarez’s two-run homer in the eighth, a swing that may yet echo in their playoff push.
The Mets are now 1.0 games ahead of the Reds and Diamondbacks for the third NL Wild Card spot.
Leadoff Lindor
The evening began with a jolt of promise. On just the second pitch of the game, Francisco Lindor launched his 10th leadoff home run of the season, his 29th overall, inching closer to his second 30/30 campaign.
But the optimism didn’t last.
Early Woes Inject Grit into Comeback Kids
Juan Soto misread a fly ball in the first inning that should have ended the frame, instead turning into two Chicago runs. David Peterson couldn’t stop the bleeding in the second, allowing three more before being pulled after just 1.1 innings.
By the fourth, the Mets trailed 6-1, and when Jeff McNeil’s back-to-back throwing errors pushed across another run, it felt like the night—and maybe their season—was slipping away (for the non-believers, that is).
You Found Nimmo
Then came the turn. In the fifth, a Dansby Swanson error on what should’ve been an inning-ending double play cracked the door open. The Mets charged through it. Lindor plated a run, Soto drew a walk, and Pete Alonso narrowly missed a three-run blast off the wall.
But Brandon Nimmo didn’t miss. His three-run shot tied the game, his 25th of the season, and the Mets’ dugout erupted like fans had been hoping for as of late.
A five-run fifth. And suddenly, New York was alive.
The game became a tug-of-war from there. McNeil doubled to spark a two-out rally in the sixth, Alvarez worked a walk, and Lindor delivered again with a go-ahead single. The Cubs punched back in the bottom half, evening the score on a two-out RBI from Seiya Suzuki. The Mets’ bullpen kept it in check following Peterson’s departure, and Brooks Raley froze Pete Crow-Armstrong to keep it knotted 7-7 in the seventh.
We Do A Little Trolling
And so it set the stage for Alvarez.
Brett Baty opened the eighth with a single, but two quick outs threatened to waste the chance. With Wrigley restless and the Mets’ hopes teetering, Alvarez swung and silenced the noise—ripping a four-seamer off Caleb Theilbar, and launching an undeniable two-run homer into center field to seal the night on a high note.
Edwin Díaz was then called to record six outs.
The ever-dominant closer rode the high by striking out five with some of the nastiest pitches we’ve seen from him this year.
These Mets Never Say Die
This was the version of the Mets that once held the league’s best record: flawed but unflinching, leaning on stars who rise when it matters most, finding ways to turn mistakes into momentum. It was a win born of grit, belief, and the refusal to fold. Simple baseball. This win felt like a reclamation.
