Apr 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) jumps while waiting to head home after hitting a triple during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The baseball gods’ sense of humor when worsening the Mets’ now-11-game losing streak has gotten more and more creative.
Nursing a 1-0 lead and two outs away from snapping their worst skid in 22 years, former Mets star outfielder Michael Conforto, who spent seven years with the organization, lined a pinch-hit game-tying double down the right-field line in the bottom of the ninth off closer Devin Williams to force extra innings. Nico Hoerner won it in the bottom of the 10th with a sacrifice fly off Craig Kimbrel to score former Mets top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.
MJ Melendez provided the only run for the Mets with a fifth-inning home run off Chicago starter Javier Assad, who entered the afternoon with a 5.74 ERA this season. The one run continues the offense’s stunning lack of production without Juan Soto, as New York (7-15) has scored two or fewer runs in nine of its last 11 games.
In an effort to shake up the rotation, manager Carlos Mendoza opened the game with the right-handed reliever Tobias Myers and demoted starter David Peterson to a piggyback role.
Myers got through two scoreless innings before Peterson went 3.2 clean frames of his own, departing with two outs in the sixth inning with a runner on third. Huascar Brazoban walked the first two men he faced, but got Seiya Suzuki swinging to get out of the bases-loaded jam and keep the Mets’ slim lead intact.
Chicago’s Matt Shaw got to second on a single and wild pitch with one out in the seventh against Brooks Raley, but the southpaw got Crow-Armstrong to fly out before Luke Weaver induced an inning-ending flyout to center from Dansby Swanson. The righty then posted a 1-2-3 eighth.
Williams allowed a lead-off single to Ian Happ and struck out Seiya Suzuki before Conforto ripped a first-pitch fastball down the right-field line that scored pinch-runner Scott Kingery from first.
With the ghost runner in the top of the 10th, the Mets’ offense was no match for Caleb Thielbar. Mark Vientos popped out, Tyrone Taylor flew out, and after a Marcus Semien infield single, Luis Torrens struck out, stranding runners at first and third.
In the bottom of the frame, Kimbrel’s wild pitch allowed Crow-Armstrong, the ghost runner, to move up to third after Swanson failed twice to get a sacrifice bunt down. Swanson struck out swinging for the first out before Hoerner sent the Mets packing.
For more on the Mets, visit AMNY.com
