Mets gain edge in NL wild-card standings with comeback win over Cubs

Francisco Alvarez broke a tie with a two-run homer in the eighth inning after the visiting New York Mets had already erased a five-run deficit in a 9-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

New York's Brandon Nimmo launched a three-run homer in a five-run fifth inning and Francisco Lindor also went deep to lead off the game.

Lindor drove in three runs and Pete Alonso had an RBI single for the Mets (81-76), who recorded just the fifth win in their last eight games to move one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild-card spot in the National League. The Reds dropped a 4-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

Carlos Santana and Ian Happ both had two-run doubles and Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki each added an RBI single for the Cubs (88-69), who have lost a season-high five games in a row.

With pinch-runner Luisangel Acuna on first and the score tied at 7-7, Alvarez deposited a 3-1 fastball from Caleb Thielbar (3-4) over the wall in center field. It was his 10th homer of the season.

The blast made a winner out of Brooks Raley (3-0), who struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong to end the seventh inning.

Edwin Diaz then struck out five batters in two scoreless innings to record his 27th save.

Thielbar permitted two runs on two hits in one inning.

New York overcame a 6-1 deficit by scoring five runs in the fifth inning, with Alonso's long RBI single off the wall in right field chasing reliever Michael Soroka. Nimmo forged a tie after greeting Cubs reliever Taylor Rogers by sending a 0-1 sweeper over the wall in right field for his career-high 25th homer of the season.

Lindor's second homer in as many games and 29th of the season staked New York to an early lead before Chicago manufactured a pair of runs in the first inning. New York right fielder Juan Soto misplayed Santana's long fly in front of the wall, allowing Hoerner and Carson Kelly to cross the plate.

Hoener had an RBI single off Mets starter David Peterson and Happ plated a pair of runs in the second inning for the Cubs, who took a 6-1 lead in the fourth following and a pair of throwing errors by second baseman Jeff McNeil.

--Field Level Media