Luis Severino dominates the Cubs and gives the Mets another series win

CHICAGO – With the Mets and Chicago Cubs locked in a close Wild Card matchup, Sunday night’s series finale felt bigger than a typical June game usually would.

It was a star-studded event at Wrigley Field, with celebrities such as Bill Murray and Dave Matthews coming to celebrate the unveiling of the Ryne Sandberg statue. A packed crowd of nearly 40,000 spectators waited eagerly for the Cubs to pick up where they left off in the second game of the series, when they defeated the Mets by 10 runs.

Instead, Cubs fans were disappointed. The Mets won 5-2 to take the series, their fourth in a row and 12th of the season. They finished 4-2 on the road and have won 13 of their last 17 games.

But that win also brings uncertainty, as closer Edwin Diaz was ejected in the ninth inning by third baseman Vic Carapazza during his routine foreign object check. Diaz was a key to the Mets’ recent resurgence, and they now risk losing the right-hander for 10 games, as an ejection for sticky substances carries an automatic suspension.

Right-hander Drew Smith started the ninth inning in place of Diaz and got the first two outs before allowing a single to Dansby Swanson. Left-hander Jake Diekman came in for the save with one out, striking out Patrick Wisdom on three pitches (three saves).

Francisco Lindor hit his 13th home run of the season, Brandon Nimmo his 11th and Mark Vientos beat Wisconsin with virtually one out, his seventh of the year. Luis Severino (5-2) held the Cubs scoreless for six innings, allowing three hits and striking out 10 players.

The Mets came back after Dedniel Nuñez allowed a two-run homer to Christopher Morel in the seventh inning. The two-run blast cut the lead in half, but Vientos hit a 451-foot bomb to Tyson Miller in the next inning.

Vientos ended an 0-for-14 streak with the longest home run of his career, hitting the ball into the center-field bleachers beneath the old scoreboard.

With the Mets (37-39) leading 4-0 in the sixth inning, Severino brought in two runs without striking out anyone. He called Michael Busch before facing Cody Bellinger. The outfielder fouled the first two pitches and was 0-for-2 before Severino threw him a changeup, but Bellinger didn’t take it.

With the score tied at 1-2, Bellinger threw the next three pitches and then hit a fastball outside the zone to complete the count. He threw four more, drawing a standing ovation from the Wrigley Field fans on pitch number 11.

Bellinger struck out at pitch No. 12 and missed. Severino won the battle and quickly retired Seiya Suzuki for the third out.

Lindor and Nimmo hit back-to-back home runs to left outfield in the third inning against right-hander Javier Assad. Harrison Bader hit a one-out double to bring in Lindor, who battled Assad for eight pitches before finally scoring on a full-count cutter. Nimmo then hit Assad’s fourth home run in his last six games, extending his hitting streak to nine games.

The Mets scored a fourth run in the fifth inning, loading the bases for Assad, before the Cubs went to the bullpen and brought in right-hander Keegan Thompson. A ground ball by JD Martinez brought Bader home to make it 4-0.

Assad was responsible for all four runs, allowing seven hits, one walk and no strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

The win gives the Mets the tiebreaker over the Cubs in the NL Wild Card standings. They may not need it, but with 10 teams battling for three spots, every advantage counts.