The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Frazier hits grand slam, drives in 5
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs were pounding out lopsided victories and squeezing out tight games while putting together their longest winning streak of the season.
Todd Frazier brought it to a screeching halt. Even so, the Cubs weren’t complaining.
Frazier hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs to lead the New York Mets to a 10-3 victory over Chicago on Wednesday, avenging a tough loss earlier in the day.
The Cubs had won a season-high seven in a row after pulling out a 2-1 victory earlier Wednesday on Ben Zobrist’s RBI single with the bases loaded in the 11th. That game was suspended in the top of the 10th because of rain the previous night.
The scheduled meeting didn’t go nearly as well for the NL Central leaders. They couldn’t close out a perfect homestand after sweeping the first four games against Cincinnati and taking two more from New York. But they felt charged and ready for a season-long 11-day, 11-game trip that starts Thursday at Atlanta.
“I feel like we’re in a good spot,” Zobrist said. “There’s definitely a few guys that are grinding still. But we as a team, I think we feel good. We feel upbeat and excited about where we’re headed.”
Frazier gave New York a 4-0 lead in the first inning with his drive against Alec Mills and added an RBI single in a two-run ninth.
Jason Vargas (5-8) won his third straight start. The Mets pounded out 16 hits and avoided a season sweep after dropping the first six games against the NL Central leaders.
Vargas gave up one run and four hits in 5 1⁄3 innings, striking out six and walking two. The veteran left-hander has a 1.62 ERA in his past three outings.
Mills (0-1) scattered five hits over five innings in his second major league start and did not allow a run after Frazier’s grand slam.
He walked Michael Conforto with two outs in the first to load the bases. Frazier then launched a 2-0 pitch toward the back of the leftfield bleachers — his fourth career grand slam and first since he hit one for the White Sox at Texas on May 9, 2016.
“To get us kick-started there was nice, and then to give Vargas a cushion there so he can make some pitches and take a chance on some guys,” Frazier said. “That’s what we have to do every day as hitters.”