Alonso lights up Smyly, Cubs lose in New York
NEW YORK - Pete Alonso homered in consecutive at-bats and tied a career high with 6 RBI as the New York Mets withstood a long rain delay and snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-2 rout of the Cubs on Monday night.
Cody Bellinger hit a pair of RBI singles for the playoff-contending Cubs, who lost for only the fifth time in 20 games.
Cubs starter Drew Smyly tied a season high by allowing 7 runs. He gave up 8 hits in five-plus innings for his first career loss against the Mets. The left-hander had been 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in seven previous appearances versus New York.
In their first home game since trading Justin Verlander, Mark Canha and Tommy Pham at last week's deadline, the Mets (51-61) avoided matching their longest skid this season. New York dropped seven straight June 2-9 when it fell under .500.
Alonso connected in the first and third innings against Smyly (8-8). It was his fourth multi-homer game this year and third since the All-Star break. The first baseman also got his 18th career multi-homer game to move into sole possession of third on New York's career list behind Darryl Strawberry (22) and former captain David Wright (21).
Alonso's first homer carried over the left-center wall for a 3-run shot that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the first. His 2-run shot to center made it 5-1.
Those were Alonso's third and fourth homers in 14 career at-bats against Smyly, and the slugger has 13 homers in 25 games against the Cubs.
Kodai Senga (8-6) allowed 2 runs and 7 hits in six innings for his first win since July 5 and first home win since May 30 against Philadelphia. Senga had been 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA since beating Arizona, and the Mets scored at least five runs in one of his starts for the first time since an 8-3 win at Pittsburgh on June 10.
Senga came out to start the seventh in heavy rain but was pulled before throwing a pitch because of a wet mound. The game was delayed several minutes as Senga threw warmups, slipped throwing a pitch and manager Buck Showalter came out twice.
After Showalter's second trip, Senga was pulled and the grounds crew quickly put the tarp on the field.
Following a rain delay of 2 hours, 9 minutes, Danny Mendick hit a three-run homer in the seventh and Alonso hit an RBI single in the eighth on a 44 mph pitch from Cubs catcher Tucker Barnhart. It was the second time Alonso drove in six.
Before the delay, the Mets scored twice in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Jonathan Araúz and a double-play grounder by Brandon Nimmo that scored Jeff McNeil.
Cubs injury update:
Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman (right hip inflammation) will throw a bullpen Tuesday and manager David Ross is optimistic the right-hander can return from the injured list when eligible. Right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger (strained right forearm) will face hitters Tuesday at the team's complex in Arizona.