Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/23/23): Cubs 7, Mets 2 – Mervis Mashes Mets in Cubs Win

The Cubs went into Tuesday night hoping a little home cooking would help them break out of their current slump as they returned to Wrigley to take on the Mets. It appeared to do the trick for at least one night, with Chicago blasting four homers on their way to a relatively easy win.

The Cubs got to New York starter Tylor Megill in the 2nd inning starting with a long solo home run to center from Seiya Suzuki. Yan Gomes then chopped a ball off home plate for an RBI infield hit and Matt Mervis made it a four-run lead with his first Wrigley Field homer, an opposite-field shot to left.

First Wrigley Field MASH for @mmervis12! pic.twitter.com/Mzh90xRZgV

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 24, 2023

Drew Smyly was solid on the mound for Chicago allowing only a mammoth solo shot off the bat Pete Alonso in five innings. Mervis and Dansby Swanson added a pair of run-scoring singles in the 4th inning to put the home team ahead 6-1.

New York threatened in the 6th and 7th innings but only came away with a single tally. Christopher Morel added his daily dinger, number nine in 12 games, in the 7th to provide the final 7-2 margin of victory for the Cubs. (Box score)

Key Moment

Jeremiah Estrada replaced Smyly with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 6th inning. He got the next three batters on eight pitches and only allowed a single man to score and keep Chicago up by four.

Why the Cubs Won

The pitching mostly kept the hot Mets lineup in check and the offense had the power stroke working.

Stats That Matter

• Smyly was good before running out of steam in his final frame: 5 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 5 K, and 2 BB.
• Don’t look now, but Suzuki is up to an .866 OPS in 2023.
• Morel also had a walk and has homered in five consecutive games.
• That was by far the best game of Mervis’s young career, even his out was a line drive.

Bottom Line

This was a much-needed win for the Cubs, and the way they won it was even more important. They got key contributions from several young players who will be crucial this season and beyond. Estrada was impressive in an extremely high-leverage situation and it would be huge if he could become a real option in the ‘pen.

On Deck

Chicago tries to win consecutive games for the first time in a long time Wednesday night at 6:40pm CT. Marcus Stroman goes against the rescheduled Kodai Senga in a broadcast available on MLB Network (out of market only), Marquee, and 670 The Score.