CHICAGO — Jeurys Familia lost control, but not the lead, and kept the Mets ahead and his consecutive save streak intact.
CHICAGO — Jeurys Familia lost control, but not the lead, and kept the Mets ahead and his consecutive save streak intact.
New York’s closer escaped a bases-loaded jam with a game-ending double play after Rene Rivera drove in the tiebreaking run with two outs in the top of the ninth, lifting New York over the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Familia walked Addison Russell and Miguel Montero to start the ninth, then Javier Baez reached on a bunt single when third baseman Jose Reyes threw wide to first. Pinch-hitter Matt Szczur hit a grounder to first baseman James Loney, and Loney threw out Russell at the plate.
Kris Bryant then hit into a 5-4-3 double play to give Familia his 33rd save in 33 chances this season and 49th straight dating to Aug. 1, 2015.
“I just always try in a situation like that, to throw my sinker down and let them make contact with a groundball and believe in myself,” Familia said. “I just try to believe and think I can do it.”
Familia’s teammates kept their cool, too
“I know Familia is going to do it,” catcher Rivera said. “I know he has been there before. After the first couple of batters, I went out there and gave him support.”
Rivera had the third single in the ninth — following hits by Loney and Asdrubal Cabrera — off Hector Rondon (1-2) as the Mets beat the Cubs for the fifth time in six games after sweeping them in last year’s NL Championship Series.
Hansel Robles (4-3) pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win.
All-Star right-handers Jake Arrieta of the Cubs and Noah Syndergaard of the Mets returned to dominant form in no decisions.
Arrieta retired 14 of the first 15 Mets hitters, including 12 straight following Yoenis Cespedes’ single in the first. He allowed one run and struck out eight in seven innings, his longest outing since June 11. Last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner got back on track after allowing four or more earned runs in three consecutive starts for the first time since 2012.
“That was a little more like it,” Arrieta said. “I was really aggressive in the strike zone and I was using my off-speed pretty much throughout the whole game.”
Syndergaard gave up one unearned run on seven hits through 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight before being replaced by Jerry Blevins after throwing 105 pitches.