Baez hits career homer No. 100 as Cubs rally past mets

[June 24, 2019]  On a day for noteworthy home runs, Javier Baez made the 100th of his career one to savor, rallying the Chicago Cubs to a 5-3 victory on Sunday over the visiting New York Mets.

Baez's three-run shot in the eighth inning off Mets right-hander Seth Lugo helped prevent Chicago's first three-game losing streak at home this season. It was just the second home run for the Cubs in a four-game series against the Mets, while New York hit nine.

The Mets' Pete Alonso also went deep, setting the club record for rookie home runs. A day after tying Darryl Strawberry's Mets rookie mark for homers, set in 1983, Alonso topped it Sunday with his 27th of the season, a game-tying shot to center field against Cubs pitcher Cole Hamels.

Trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning, Kyle Schwarber led off for the Cubs with a single. Anthony Rizzo earned a one-out walk to bring Baez to the plate. The right-handed hitter lifted an 0-2 slider from Lugo (3-1) the opposite way into the seats in right field for his 19th of the season.

Hamels gave up three runs on seven hits over seven innings for the Cubs, and also had an RBI single in the second inning that gave Chicago an early 1-0 lead. Steve Cishek (2-4) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Pedro Strop pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

Alonso, whose homer made it 1-1 in the fourth, is now one home run short of the major league rookie record before July 1 set by the Oakland Athletics' Mark McGwire in 1987. The Mets have seven more games until the end of June, four at Philadelphia and three at home against the Atlanta Braves.

Cubs starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) pitches against the New York Mets during the first Inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Young-USA TODAY Sports

Tomas Nido added a home run for the Mets in the fifth inning, his third of the season. The Mets' home runs were the first time Hamels had been taken deep in a game since May 17.

Later in the fifth inning, Jacob deGrom got his revenge on Hamels when he delivered an RBI single of his own for a 3-1 advantage. Rizzo pulled the Cubs to within a run in the fifth inning with an RBI single.

The right-handed deGrom gave up two runs on eight hits over six innings with no walks and nine strikeouts in the no-decision.

--Field Level Media

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