Well, they don’t call them the dog days of summer for nothing.
After two crackling offensive performances against the Marlins, the Mets and Chris Bassitt folded to a thoroughly beatable Cubs team – managing almost nothing against a rookie making his fifth major-league appearance and squandering a chance to gain ground on a dormant Atlanta, as they fell, 5-2 at Citi Field. What’s more, the offensive malaise had to be witnessed not only by the 29,081 fans on site, but the few hundred dogs there for Bark in the Park (the canine contingent appeared unbothered).
Bassitt was hounded from the onset, allowing five runs, all earned, in 3 2/3 innings, his second-shortest outing of the season. Down by four in the eighth, the Mets loaded the bases with one out against two relievers before Cubs manager David Ross brought in Brandon Hughes, who got Eduardo Escobar to fly out to shallow left. Pinch hitter Darin Ruf then flied out to shallow right to end the threat, despite the dogs chanting his name. Francisco Lindor's solo homer in the ninth tied him for a career-high 92 RBIs and provided the final margin.
