Baseball

Seiya Suzuki, Kodai Senga: Cubs Beat Mets 4-2

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki hits an RBI double off New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Chicago.

11:28 JST, May 25, 2023

CHICAGO (AP) — Marcus Stroman pitched eight efficient innings to help the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Nico Hoerner homered in Chicago’s second straight victory since coming home after a 2-7 trip. Seiya Suzuki also drove in a run with a double off Japanese countryman Kodai Senga.

Stroman (4-4) threw just 88 pitches in his longest outing of the season, 59 for strikes. The right-hander allowed four hits, struck out three and walked two.

Francisco Álvarez hit a two-run shot in the third, but that was it for the Mets. Stroman helped himself by starting a 1-6-3 double play in the sixth, and then pounded his chest in celebration.

Mark Leiter Jr. worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.

Senga (4-3) labored through five innings for New York, allowing three runs and six hits. Coming off a dominant performance against Tampa Bay, the rookie right-hander struck out six and issued a season-high five walks.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga applauds his teammates after the final out in the fourth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Chicago.

After Álvarez connected for his sixth homer, Chicago responded with three runs in the bottom half of the third. Dansby Swanson doubled home Hoerner, and Suzuki added a two-out RBI double off the wall in left. Suzuki then scored on Mike Tauchman’s single.

Hoerner connected for his third homer in the sixth against Drew Smith. It was his first homer in his fifth game since returning from a left hamstring strain.

Chicago’s Christopher Morel extended his hitting streak to his first 13 games this season with an infie