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Mets doomed by errors, Dansby Swanson homers as Cubs sweep doubleheader

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on

Published in Baseball

NEW YORK — The Norwegian soccer fans who filled Citi Field for the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader didn’t need much inspiration to cheer.

Their spirited chants, coordinated conga lines and viral “Viking row” celebrations emanated from the center-field stands regardless of what was happening in the game.

But for the local fans in attendance, there were far fewer reasons to revel.

The Mets suffered a lopsided doubleheader sweep against the Chicago Cubs, dropping them a season-worst 12 games below .500 (34-46).

No. 9 hitter Dansby Swanson was the driving force for Chicago, driving in 11 runs over the two games.

Swanson hit a pair of home runs — including a grand slam — and drove in seven runs in the first game, dealing the Mets a 10-3 defeat.

He drove in four more runs in the nightcap, including the go-ahead RBI triple in the Cubs’ 10-5 victory.

The second game was particularly painful for the Mets, who committed six errors.

After first baseman Mark Vientos committed his second error of the game in the ninth inning, many in the crowd chanted “Pete Alonso” — a not-so-subtle reference to the fan-favorite first baseman whom the Mets let leave in free agency over the winter.

Swanson, who entered the series with a .183 average, now has 15 RBIs through the first three games of the four-game set.

Is it a coincidence that “Swanson” is a surname most commonly of Scandinavian descent?

The Mets have now lost five games in a row and were outscored (50-19) in those defeats.

“It’s tough, I’m not gonna lie. Obviously, there’s frustrations for all of us in here,” manager Carlos Mendoza said between Wednesday’s games.

“The last thing we want is to sit here and start feeling ourselves. You have to punch back. You’ve got to find a way to punch back and keep going. You’ve got to get back up, but it’s not easy right now.”

The Mets were without star slugger Juan Soto for both games of the split-admission doubleheader after he exited Tuesday’s loss with left side back tightness.

Francisco Lindor, meanwhile, returned for Wednesday’s second game after a two-month stint on the injured list due to a calf strain and went 0 for 5.

But the Mets’ bigger problems Wednesday were their pitching and defense.

After they spotted standout rookie Nolan McLean a 3-0 lead through four innings in the first game, the 24-year-old right-hander unraveled.

McLean surrendered three runs in the fifth — all with two outs — including a game-tying two-run home run to Michael Busch.

 

Swansby then struck a tie-breaking three-run homer off of a belt-high McLean fastball with two outs in the sixth.

McLean allowed six runs in six innings, falling to 4-5 with a 4.03 ERA this season. He struck out nine, but he also allowed seven hits, walked two batters and plunked two others.

“Nobody likes losing,” McLean said. “Any time I go out there and put my team in a bad position to win, it’s very frustrating. My job’s to go out there and limit the score, and I haven’t been doing that this year.”

Swanson’s 418-foot grand slam came against reliever Jonathan Pintaro with two outs in the eighth, further padding the Cubs’ lead.

It was a similar story in the second game.

The Mets jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second inning against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, with Francisco Alvarez clubbing a solo home run — his third consecutive game with a homer — and rookie AJ Ewing following with a 420-foot two-run blast.

That was the lefty-swinging Ewing’s first major league homer against a left-handed pitcher.

But the Cubs retook the lead with three runs against Sean Manaea in the fourth inning, a rally aided by a throwing error from second baseman Marcus Semien that put runners at the corners with nobody out.

Chicago took advantage with three consecutive RBI singles, including one by Swanson that tied the game, followed by a bunt hit by Pete Crow-Armstrong that he blooped over third baseman Bo Bichette, who was playing in.

The score was tied when Swanson ripped an RBI triple off the right-field wall against Brooks Raley in the sixth, putting Chicago back ahead, 5-4.

Chicago would tack on five more runs from there. One came in the top of the eighth, when errors by Bichette and Vientos led to an unearned run for reliever A.J. Minter.

Frustration boiled over by the end of the day.

Trailing by two runs in the eighth, Semien popped out and Alvarez struck out to strand a runner at third. Upon making the third out, an animated Alvarez snapped his bat over his knee.

Then in the ninth, Vientos bobbled a routine, two-out grounder off the bat of Carson Kelly. The Cubs followed with three more runs — all unearned — including a two-run single by Swanson to cap his huge game.

That prompted loud boos — and the “Alonso” chants.”

It was a tense ending to a day that began with jubilation from the dozens of high-energy Norwegians who congregated in sections 141 and 142 amid their U.S. visit for the World Cup.

“I’ve never been to a baseball game before, so I don’t know the rules,” Marie Lian, 25, of Bergen, Norway, told the New York Daily News. “But I’m cheering when the people we’re with are cheering, so it’s been really good.”

By the end of the day, it was the Cubs fans in attendance who were cheering the loudest.


©2026 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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