Marcus Stroman’s efficiency leads Cubs to second straight win against Mets

right handed marcus stroman he made his most efficient start to the season on Wednesday, against his former team, no less.

In the Cubs’ 4–2 win against the Mets, Stroman allowed two runs in a season-high eight innings. It was the first time the Cubs had won back-to-back games since May 10 against the Cardinals and May 12 against the Twins.

“I don’t really play much, to be honest with you,” Stroman said of facing the Mets. “A younger me may have seen it as a revenge game. But now I know how to shoot, I’m really good at what I do and it’s just a matter of getting to the point mechanically and starting to roll from start to finish and staying there.

Stroman had consistently been digging deep in games, pitching at least six innings in all but two starts. However, prior to Wednesday, his longest start had been 6⅓ innings.

“When it’s on, that thing is sinking, that’s what you can get: lots of soft contact in the early count,” manager. david ross Said of Stroman’s Bread and Butter Plumb Line.

The only runs Stroman allowed came on a two-run homer in the third. Francisco Alvarez he brought his barrel into a first-pitch sinker that grazed the inside edge of the strike zone.

Stroman faced a minimum of three batters in six of his eight innings, throwing 88 pitches.

“Nights like this, when he’s got the sinker moving like that, he’s really hard to beat,” the catcher. tucker barnhart saying. “It seemed like they didn’t make any adjustments, so we just kept going to the pit.”

Three double plays helped Stroman keep his pitch count down. The first one was weird.

In the room, Peter Alonso he ran out before the court, but Brett Batty he got under the ball and hit it through the roof. Alonso failed to register after contact, slid headfirst toward second base, then looked up, unable to locate the ball. When Alonso saw ian happ running to catch the fly in shallow left field, it was too late to get back to first.

The second double play came in the sixth, with Stroman fielding a strong comeback from brandon nimmo and shooting to second. short field dansby swanson He moved through the bag and tossed it to first base as Stroman pounded his chest in celebration.

Fittingly, Stroman’s outing ended in the third double play. With one out and runners on first and third, Stroman had Álvarez ground out to Swanson to get out of the inning.

Hendricks will start Thursday

right handed kyle hendrickswho has been out since August of last season, will return Thursday from the 15-day disabled list to make his season debut in the series finale.

The Cubs will push the right-hander jameson taillonwho was originally scheduled to start on Thursday, returned to Saturday to split lefties justin steel and drew smyly.

Burdy to IL

pain relieving Nick Burdy he had an appendectomy Wednesday, placing him on the 15-day disabled list. In a corresponding move, the Cubs called right-hander javier al-asad from Triple-A Iowa.

Burdi returned to the big leagues this season after a series of injuries. Last week in Houston, he pitched in a major league game for the first time since 2020. He made three appearances before contracting appendicitis.