Rizzo homers as Cubs beat Mets 5-1

Anthony Rizzo’s three-run homer in the third inning was enough for the Cubs to down the visiting New York Mets last night, 5-1.

This time around, the Cubs veteran southpaw held the Mets lineup at bay, surrendering only one run on four hits and three walks in 7.2 innings.

“It was 2-2 for a while there”.

Matz on his start overall: “I don’t think my command was 100 percent where I want it to be, which could lead to them fouling pitches off, me leaving pitches over the heart of the plate”.

“He’s our staple. KB is a stud, too, and there’s a lot of these guys that are great, but for me, Rizz is the catalyst, the leader and the guy that is just as consistent as it gets”. “Just try to grind at-bats, that’s what we’re so good at doing”.

The three-run homer Matz allowed to Rizzo put the Mets in a hole they couldn’t erase as they fell to the Cubs, 5-1, on Monday night at Wrigley Field. The All-Star slugger is batting.339 with three homers and 10 RBIs in July. “There’s no question about it”, Chicago manager Joe Maddon said.

Matz blamed himself for poor execution.

“Even though I thought he (Matz) threw the ball fine, I didn’t think he had his real Grade A stuff”, said Mets manager Terry Collins.

The Mets had six hits to Chicago’s 10, but the New Yorkers also did what they do best – and not in a good way – they left 13 men on base.

This time around was much different.

While Matz had an off night, the offense failed to replicate the damage it inflicted on Jon Lester in the previous meeting when the Mets pounded him for eight runs on nine hits in just 1 2/3 innings on July 3.

Fernandez pitched 6 1-3 innings and became the pitcher to reach 500 strikeouts in the fewest innings: 400.

Miami’s Ichiro Suzuki, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in right field, grounded out and walked.

Reds 8, Braves 2 • Zack Cozart, Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez homered in the fourth inning to boost host Cincinnati.

CARDINALS 10, PADRES 2: Mike Leake (7-7) had his second straight double-digit strikeouts game with no walks, joining Bob Gibson (1968-69) as the only St. Louis pitchers to accomplish the feat, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Yankees 2, Orioles 1 – At New York: Alex Rodriguez hit his 696th career homer, Ivan Nova grinded through six innings, and New York’s bullpen trio closed up shop for the second straight game to help the Yankees beat Baltimore.

Christian Yelich hit an RBI double off Jeanmar Gomez with two outs in the ninth and scored on Marcell Ozuna’s single.

In Oakland, Yonder Alonso drove in three runs with a pair of two-out hits to back Kendall Graveman’s fifth consecutive win.

Matz didn’t give up many home runs to start his career, but he’s recently started allowing them at a higher clip. The Cubs’ starting pitching, which limped into the All-Star break, has turned in four solid starts to begin the second half.

Including the postseason, NY had won eight straight games against Chicago before Monday night’s loss, which tied a franchise record done twice before, most recently in 1985.