The size and scope of this Mets win does not register best on the scoreboard, the standings or even the record book. Try the Richter scale. They shook the ground at Citi Field with the way they finished a four-game sweep over the Cubs, who entered the day with the majors’ best record but had to feel shaken as they left.
With the 14-2 victory, the Mets continued a dominant stretch over the Cubs, matching a four-game sweep in the National League Championship Series last October. They did it with an effort of seismic proportions, tying a 2-day-old Citi Field record with five home runs. Two of those were by Wilmer Flores, who went 6-for-6 despite the approaching footsteps of third-baseman-in-training Jose Reyes. Fans sang Flores’ name and gave him a loud ovation after each of his final two hits.
He is only the second Met to have a six-hit game, following Edgardo Alfonzo on Aug. 20, 1999. Alfonzo is now a coach in the Mets system who is among those helping Reyes learn to play third.
All told, the Mets made short work of Jon Lester, who was removed after 1 1⁄3 innings, the shortest start of his accomplished career. Plus, they received an encouraging outing from Noah Syndergaard (9-3), who allowed only one run (on seven hits and one walk with eight strikeouts) in seven innings. By the time the game was over, the Cubs were using catcher Miguel Montero on the mound. In the eighth, he faced Jacob deGrom as a pinch-hitter and retired him on a fly to left.
Most of all, the day represented a dramatic turnaround from the gloom that followed the Mets home after they were swept in Washington earlier in the week. “Things change,” Terry Collins said. “I think there’s a great mood in the clubhouse. After what happened in Washington, to come home, we knew we were playing the Cubs, it was that frying pan-into-the-fire kind of thing and yet we’ve played well. The mood in the clubhouse is certainly better than it was four days ago.”
The Cubs had every reason to think they could leave town on a sparkling note. They no doubt felt confident because they had Lester going to the mound. This is the Jon Lester who was named National League Pitcher of the month for June, who had gone 4-0 with a 1.41 earned run average in that span.
Well, June is gone and on the eve of July 4, the Mets were busting out all over. Lester allowed eight runs — as many as he had given up the entire previous month.
Seven of those occurred in a second-inning blitz, which reversed everything the Mets had shown in their weak moments, notably their three consecutive losses to the Nationals that preceded these four games against the Cubs.
Curtis Granderson, fresh off a couple days off to rest a calf injury, set the tone with a home run to left-centerfield in the bottom of the first. That answered a run the Cubs scored in the top of the first against Syndergaard.
The second was almost beyond belief, or way overdue, whatever way you want to look at the Mets’ potential.
Flores, with every reason to be looking over his shoulder because Reyes is being prepped to take his job at third base, homered to left-center. 2-1, Mets.
Matt Reynolds doubled to right, Rene Rivera hit a home run to left. 4-1.
Syndergaard walked, Juan Lagares (making his first start after coming off the disabled list) hit a double to right, Granderson hit a single to center, driving home Syndergaard. 5-1.
Yoenis Cespedes, cheered on by fans wearing replicas of his neon bright batting sleeve, hit a broken bat single to left, driving home Lagares. 6-1.
Neil Walker’s ground single to right brought home Granderson. 7-1.
Flores completed his two-hit, two-RBI inning with a single that scored Cespedes. 8-1.
That is when Maddon lifted Lester in favor of Spencer Patton, who allowed a run on singles by Flores, James Loney and Rivera in the fourth. 9-1.
Flores took Patton deep in the fifth after a single by Walker. 11-1.
Kelly Johnson delivered a pinch home run in the seventh against Joel Peralta. 13-1.
James Loney’s single drove home a run in the eighth. 14-1.
Notes and quotes: Terry Collins said “I’d be surprised” if Jose Reyes pronounced himself ready to return to the major leagues as early as Monday. “They tell me he’s moving good, he has handled third base very, very well. He’s just not that comfortable at the plate yet,” the manager said . . . Asdrubal Cabrera had the day off yesterday because an injured knee “has been barking on him,” Collins said. Matt Reynolds started at shortstop . . . Jeimer Candelario was called up by the Cubs, replacing Chris Coghlan, and started at third base. Candelario was born in New York City but moved to the Dominican Republic at the age of 5, when his father established a baseball school there. After striking out twice, he got his first big-league hit, a single to right in the seventh . . . Despite their gaudy 51-30 record, the Cubs are only 14-17 against teams who are above .500 right now.
..... - Newsday