WHEEL TOUGH DEFEAT
Pen blows it for Zack, Mets’ streak ends
CHICAGO — Zack Wheeler pitched like an ace. The 24-year-old righthander dominated the Cubs for 6.2 innings Tuesday night, but the Mets threw it all away.
They failed to capitalize on numerous chances and allowed the Cubs to rally for a 2-1 win on Nate Schierholtz’s walkoff single in the ninth.
“We gave this away,” said David Wright, who was unable to cleanly field what could have been a double-play ball in the ninth that could have extended the game. “Obviously, not being able to get that lead runner in the ninth and the numerous chances to . . . put that team away, we couldn’t do it.”
The Mets (28-30) saw t hei r three-game w inning streak end as the Cubs (21-34) enjoyed their first walk-off win since June 13, 2013.
Scott Rice gave up a leadoff walk to Anthony Rizzo in the ninth before Wright bobbled Starlin Castro’s ground ball, forcing him to throw to first for just the one out. One out later, Schierholtz hit his walk-off single, a ball deep into the right-field corner off Rice.
Wheeler saw his chance to record backto-back wins end an inning earlier when Chris Coghlan homered off Josh Edgin leading off the inning.
Still, the Mets have to be encouraged by t he way Wheeler is pitching as he allowed just t wo hit s a nd t wo walks in his 6.2 innings, striking out seven.
After struggling through most of his first nine starts of the season, going 1-4 with a 4.89 ERA, Wheeler has posted a 1.37 ERA over his last three starts.
“Obviously frustrating when you lose any game,” Wheeler said shrugging. “I can only do what I can do. And we’ve been playing good baseball right now for the most part. We’ll turn it around tomorrow and get them tomorrow.”
Edgin, who came into the game with lefties hitting just 1-for-15 against him, entered with a runner on and two outs in the seventh to get Schierholtz (3-for-4) out for the first time all night. With t wo lefthanded hitters leading off the bottom of the eighth, Terry Collins stuck with Edgin.
The reliever threw four straight sliders to Coghlan, then tried to slip a fastball past him but left it up. Coghlan deposited the pitch over the left-center fence.
But it never should have been t hat close. T here shou ld have been more margin for error.
As they have done all season, the Mets struggled driving home men on base.
They were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position with starter Jake Arrieta on the mound, and the one hit, a single by Curtis Granderson, who went 3-for-3 in his return to his native Chicago, in the fifth did not produce a run.
Granderson’s sacrifice fly in the first did plate Matt den Dekker. Hitting in the leadoff spot for the second straight game, den Dekker led off the game with a single and got himself into scoring position by swiping second base before advancing to third on a wild pitch.
The Mets put the leadoff hitter on base in the first four innings, but had just one run to show for it. That included having the bases loaded with no out in the third when Chris Young grounded the ball to first, allowing the Cubs to force out Daniel Murphy at home.
Lucas Duda then popped up to shortstop, and Wilmer Flores lined out to the pitcher, ending the inning.
The Mets are hitting just .155 (9-of-58) with the bases loaded this season and .235 with runners in scoring position.
“Any time you get that many runners in scoring position and you only come away with one, that kind of gets the momentum going back on their side,” said Wright, who had been encouraged by his team’s 29 runs in winning four of five in Philadelphia. “They were able to take advantage of that late in the game.