Rookie Shota Imanaga had another strong start and Pete Crow-Armstrong lofted a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 1-0.
Nico Hoerner had two hits and a stolen base for the Cubs, who have won two of the first three games of the four-game series. Jeff McNeil collected a pair of hits for the Mets, who have lost seven of 10.
Imanaga (5-0) gave up three hits and one walk while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings. The seven innings were a career high for Imanaga, who lowered his ERA from 0.98 to 0.78.
Imanaga entered Wednesday as the first starting pitcher to begin his career with a 4-0 record or better and an ERA below 1.00 in his first five starts since Dave Ferriss (5-0 with a 0.60 ERA) for the Boston Red Sox in 1945.
The Mets mounted mini-threats in the second, third and fifth. With two on in the second, Imanaga got Harrison Bader to hit into a double play. Tyrone Taylor singled and stole second with two outs in the third before Starling Marte grounded out. McNeil led off the fifth with a single, after which Bader popped out, McNeil was forced at second on a grounder by Brett Baty and Tomas Nido popped out.
The Mets threatened in the eighth, when Baty singled with one out against Mark Leiter Jr. and pinch hitter DJ Stewart drew a walk before Taylor and Marte struck out against Yency Almonte.
The Mets had runners on second and third with one out in the ninth against Hector Neris, who earned his fifth save when McNeil flew into a double play in which Pete Alonso was thrown trying to tag and score from third to end the game.
Mets starter Jose Butto (0-2) allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings.
Butto gave up a leadoff double to Hoerner and walked Mike Tauchman before retiring 12 of the next 13 batters. The Cubs built their run in the fifth, when Matt Mervis led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch by Butto. Mervis remained at third after Miguel Amaya lined out to right before trotting home on Crow-Armstrong’s flyout to the warning track in right.
