Francisco Alvarez’s clutch swing pushed the New York Mets back into playoff position on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old catcher blasted a two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift New York to a 9-7 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, moving the Mets one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the National League’s final wild-card spot.
Alvarez launched his shot over the ivy in left-center after pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña had stolen second, breaking a 7-7 tie.
The Mets overcame an ugly start from David Peterson, who lasted just 1.1 innings and allowed five earned runs, plus a string of defensive miscues that left them trailing 6-1 in the fourth.
Brandon Nimmo sparked the comeback with a three-run home run in the fifth, his 25th of the season, after Francisco Lindor had led off the game with his 29th.
Anthony Volpe delivers grand slam, career-high five RBI in return as Yankees sweep Rockies Lindor’s RBI single in the sixth briefly gave New York a 7-6 edge before Chicago tied it again.
Manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Edwin Díaz for a six-out save, and the closer shut the door after Alvarez’s blast.
Box Score | NL Wild Card Standings
The Mets (81-76) look to maintain their position on Wednesday when rookie Jonah Tong takes the ball in the middle game of this series against the Cubs (88-69). The first pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.