Marcus Stroman’s first month with the Mets was to mediocrity what Pete Alonso’s rookie season has been to sensational.
On a night Alonso stood alone as the Mets’ single-season home run king, the team’s celebrated trade-deadline pickup from Toronto sputtered in his biggest spot yet since arriving.
With Stroman surrendering two home runs, the Mets lost 5-2 to the Cubs at Citi Field to open an important three-game series.
The Mets (67-64) lost their fourth straight and fell three games behind the Cubs in the race for the NL’s second wild card. For a fourth time in five games the Mets scored fewer than three runs.