Pete Alonso, Kodai Senga lift Mets over Cubs to snap six-game losing skid

On a protracted, wet evening in Queens, Pete Alonso introduced the thunder and Kodai Senga the lightning. 

For a day, the Mets performed like a workforce that must be ticketed for the postseason, even when their report (and beginning lineup) mirrored the frustration that 2023 has been. 

The Mets rode a pair of Alonso blasts and a robust effort from Senga to snap a six-game dropping skid, returning residence to Citi Area with an 11-2 blowout over the Cubs in entrance of an introduced crowd of 29,070, of whom solely probably the most devoted (and drenched) remained by the top. 

The Mets survived the Cubs and a 2-hour, 9-minute rain delay in a sport that began on Monday and completed within the early hours of Tuesday.

After the storm chased the warmth away, the Mets (51-61) cooled off a sizzling Cubs (58-55) membership that’s preventing for a playoff spot. 

Senga, a uncommon shiny spot this season, principally cruised by means of six innings through which he allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks, his ERA at 3.24 after 21 begins.

For the primary time this yr, he pitched in entrance of his younger son and daughter. 

“I didn’t wish to embarrass myself in entrance of them,” Senga, who was profitable, mentioned by means of interpreter Hiro Fujiwara. 

Senga tried to take the muddy mound amid a driving rain for the highest of the seventh and slipped on a warm-up pitch.

The grounds crew continued engaged on the grime in a futile effort earlier than Senga walked off the sphere.

The remainder of the Mets adopted shortly because the delay started. 

When play lastly resumed, Brooks Raley, Drew Smith and Jimmy Yacabonis completed off the Cubs.

Danny Mendick added a three-run residence run, and Alonso smacked an RBI double towards soft-tossing Tucker Barnhart, usually a catcher. 

For an evening at the least, the troubles of this season had been washed away. 

Alonso drove in six and got here by means of together with his 18th profession multi-homer sport, third in franchise historical past behind solely Darryl Strawberry (22) and David Wright (21). 

The primary baseman credited “unrelenting self-belief, even when issues aren’t going that properly,” and has continued performing even after the white flag has been waved. 

As has Senga, who once more relied on an typically unhittable ghost forkball and continues to determine himself as a premier starter. 

“Clearly it’s been a troublesome yr for us, however I don’t suppose [the deadline sell-off] adjustments something for myself,” Senga mentioned. “I simply have to go get to work every single day.” 

The Mets padded their lead with the rain’s assist in the sixth, when Rafael Ortega bunted with two on and Drew Smyly couldn’t subject the slick ball cleanly.

A stroll to Jonathan Arauz and a double play from Brandon Nimmo produced a pair of runs. 

Arauz, who had briefly debuted with the Mets and briefly been demoted, was summoned once more Monday afternoon as a result of Brett Baty was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse and Starling Marte hit the injured listing.

For the second baseman’s at-bats, the scoreboard famous that “Arauz rhymes with sneakers.” 

Queens welcomed again a workforce with immediately unfamiliar names and was handled to an unfamiliar consequence: a Mets victory.