Murphy homers in 8th, leads Mets over Cubs 4-3

[May 20, 2013]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Daniel Murphy hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Sunday for their first series win at Wrigley Field since 2007.

The Mets won two of three on this trip to Chicago.

Murphy hit a leadoff shot against reliever Kyuji Fukikawa (1-1). Murphy has homered twice in three games and has an eight-game hitting streak.

Mets rookie Juan Lagares hit first major league homer, a tying, two-run drive in the seventh against Cubs starter Travis Wood.

Scott Rice (2-3) pitched two scoreless innings. Bobby Parnell earned his sixth save.

Wood hit his first homer of the season and fourth of his career, clearing the left-field bleachers with a drive off Dillon Gee in the fifth to end a scoreless tie.

Wood made his ninth straight quality start, allowing three runs and five hits in seven innings. He struck out three and walked two. The last Cubs starter to begin a season with at least nine straight quality starts was Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown in 1908.

The Mets cut lead to 2-1 in the sixth on a walk to Gee, a wild pitch and an RBI single by David Wright.

The Cubs extended their lead to 3-1 in the bottom half on Ryan Sweeney's leadoff homer. It was his first home run since July 27, 2011, when he played for Oakland.

Gee allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings. He has allowed nine runs in his last nine innings and hasn't won since May 1.

Sweeney tried to stretch a leadoff double into a triple in the fourth but was thrown out at third. The Cubs also had leadoff doubles in the first and fifth.

NOTES: Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo struck out in the first inning, ending 39 straight plate appearances without a strikeout. ... Cubs RHP Carlos Villanueva was available. He moved to the bullpen to make room for RHP Matt Garza, who will come off the disabled list and make his season debut on Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Garza strained a back muscle in spring training. Villanueva (1-3) hasn't won since April 18. He has made 245 of his 309 career appearances as a reliever. ... Murphy hit leadoff for the first time this season and fifth time in his career. He was batting .301 entering Sunday and has primarily hit second this season. "We'll see how it goes," manager Terry Collins said. "It might be something we have to consider as we get deeper in the season. He can hit. He can get on base."

[Associated Press]

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