Mets keep postseason dream alive after offense helps secure series win against Cubs

Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News on Sep 25, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CHICAGO — The Mets are often down, but they never seem to be out of the race.

Hours after the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to move to within a 1/2 game of the Mets in the NL wild-card standings, the Mets countered with a 8-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Despite the Cubs outfield making several highlight-reel catches against the Mets, and their hottest hitter, Francisco Alvarez, on the bench after dealing with lower-body cramps in the second game of the series, they kept their season alive Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

The lead over the Reds is back to one game.

Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty paced the offense with homers, Brandon Nimmo went 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, and Tyrone Taylor came through with a clutch two-run double in the top of the sixth. It gave the the Mets (82-77) two crucial insurance runs and knocked left-hander Shota Imanaga out of the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, Seiya Suzuki took Nolan McLean deep for a three-run shot to end his night, and bring the Cubs (89-70) back to within three runs of tying, 8-5. It was Suzuki’s second home run of the night off McLean.

Before Suzuki managed to get ahold of an 0-1 sweeper, McLean had been cruising. He struck out 11 of the 23 batters he faced, striking out the side in the second inning.

To say the Mets needed a steady start from their rookie right-hander would be an understatement. They overcame one pitching blowup in the series from David Peterson, but couldn’t overcome another from Jonah Tong Wednesday night.

McLean gave up two solo home runs before the big one from Suzuki, one in the fourth to Suzuki, and one in the fifth to Dansby Swanson. His command wavered in the sixth as he walked Ian Happ and gave up a ground-rule double to Moises Ballesteros with one out. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner visited him on the mound before he faced Suzuki. He gave up the long-ball anyway, but with the Mets already up 5-2, they had enough of a cushion to withstand it.

Ryne Stanek came in to get the next two outs. Brooks Raley and Tyler Rogers held the lead with scoreless innings and Edwin Diaz converted his 28th save.

In just his eighth major league start, McLean was charged with five earned runs on five hits and walked two in 5 1/3 innings. He pitched 48 innings since being called up in August, two shy of the limit that would have eliminated his rookie status for 2026. Should he win the NL Rookie of the Year Award next season, or finish in the top three for the NL Cy Young Award or MVP before arbitration, the Mets will be awarded an extra draft pick.

Imanaga (9-8) allowed nine hits and eight runs, walking two and striking out three.

The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the first inning in part due to a rules violation. Swanson went through the netting and into the stands to catch a foul pop-up from Mark Vientos with Lindor on third and Pete Alonso on second. Leaving the field of play advances the baserunners, which Lindor was aware of as he broke for home. Nimmo’s two-out single scored Alonso from third.

Lindor made it 3-0 in the third with his 30th home run of the season, marking the second time in three years the shortstop has hit 30 homers and stolen 30 or more bases.

Baty hit the most important home run of the day, a three-run shot to left field in the fourth that gave the Mets a 6-0 lead. The homer was his 17th of the season as he’s finally broken out this year, and he’s hot at the right time.