CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Shaw homered and had three hits, Michael Busch also went deep and the Chicago Cubs ended a season-high five-game losing streak with a 10-3 rout of the New York Mets on Wednesday night.
Matthew Boyd (14-8) tossed two-hit ball over 5 1/3 innings to help playoff-bound Chicago solidify its hold on the first National League wild card, 2 1/2 games ahead of San Diego. The Cubs have four games left, while the Padres have three.
Juan Soto hit his 43rd homer and Francisco Alvarez launched a two-run drive, but the Mets were held to four hits. New York remained one game ahead of Cincinnati in a scramble with Arizona for the final NL wild card.
Boyd retired 12 of the first 13 Mets batters and didn’t allow a hit until Mark Vientos singled leading off the fifth. Daniel Palencia, who returned Wednesday from the injured list, followed Boyd and got the final two outs of the sixth.
Aaron Civale pitched three innings for his first career save.
The Cubs took control with a five-run rally in the third off rookie Jonah Tong (2-3). The 22-year-old right-hander, making his fifth start in the majors, was charged with five runs on seven hits and two walks in two-plus innings.
Shaw homered leading off the fourth.
Alvarez connected in the fifth to cut it to 6-2. The Cubs replied with two unearned runs in the bottom half, then Busch hit a two-run drive in the sixth for his 31st homer of the season.
Key moment
The first six Cubs hitters reached base in the third against Tong before Richard Lovelady relieved. Ian Happ’s double with the bases loaded drove in two runs. Moises Ballesteros, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong followed with RBIs.
Key stat
Vientos’ low throw from third allowed Ballesteros to score in the fifth and was the Mets’ ninth errors in six games. Crow-Armstrong then raced home from second on Clay Holmes’ wild pitch.
Up next
Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean (4-1, 1.27 ERA) faces Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (9-7, 3.37) in the series finale Thursday night.
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