Cubs at Mets
With at least one wild card slot there for the taking, the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets both squandered opportunities to enhance their playoff standing over the weekend. Despite getting swept at home by Washington, the Cubs still hold down the second wild card as they prepare to open a three-game series at the Mets on Tuesday night.
Chicago entered its weekend series on a five-game winning streak before getting outscored 23-10 to fall four games behind the wild card-leading Nationals, but manager Joe Maddon still likes his team's chances. "The ingredients are there. We've just got to go out, obviously, and do it," Maddon said. "I've been involved with teams that have just all of a sudden clicked at the right time of the year." The Cubs take a dismal 25-39 road record into New York, which charged into postseason contention on the heels of a 21-5 surge but scored only seven runs in a three-game sweep by visiting Atlanta to remain two games behind Chicago. Jeff McNeil, the NL leader with a .333 batting average, was 6-for-14 with a homer and six RBIs while rookie Pete Alonso was 5-for-13 with three homers during a four-game series against the Cubs earlier this season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS Chicago, SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Yu Darvish (4-6, 4.43 ERA) vs. Mets RH Marcus Stroman (7-11, 3.18)
Although Darvish became the first pitcher with five straight starts of at least eight strikeouts and zero walks, he surrendered four homers and was shelled for seven runs over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision versus San Francisco. He struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings in a no-decision at Philadelphia in his previous turn and is 2-3 with a 3.75 ERA on the road. Darvish did not factor in the decision after tossing six innings of four-run ball versus the Mets on June 21.
Stroman had to exit his last start after allowing one run over four innings versus Cleveland due to tightness in his left hamstring but insisted on Sunday that he felt fine and would be able to pitch Tuesday. He has not been the difference-maker envisioned by the Mets since his acquisition from Toronto, posting a 1-0 record and 4.58 ERA over four starts. Nicholas Castellanos is batting a robust .375 since joining Chicago, but he has only two hits in 14 at-bats against Stroman.
WALK-OFFS
1. Alonso needs one homer to set the franchise record with 42.
2. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo did not play Sunday after exiting Saturday's contest with tightness in his back.
3. Mets C Wilson Ramos has hit safely in a career high-tying 19 straight games.