Mets roar back at Wrigley as Francisco Alvarez delivers redemption blast in wild 9-7 win

CHICAGO — For 54 long hours, the Mets had been knocked out of the driver’s seat. On Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, they climbed back in — and did it in the most dramatic fashion possible.

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Francisco Alvarez gestures to the Mets’ dugout after hitting the game-winning two-run homer in the eighth inning of their 9-7 win over the Cubs on Sept. 23, 2025.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Francisco Alvarez, who just two days earlier had been robbed of a game-tying homer by Washington’s Jacob Young, made sure this time there would be no doubt. With two outs in the eighth inning, Alvarez crushed a two-run shot into the ivy in left-center, turned toward the dugout, and screamed, “Let’s go!” as his teammates exploded. The 23-year-old catcher’s redemption swing sealed a stirring 9-7 comeback victory over the Cubs and reignited the Mets’ postseason charge.

But the Mets didn’t get there the easy way. David Peterson, mired in a two-month free fall, lasted only 1 ⅓ innings, surrendering five runs on five hits and two walks. By the third, the Cubs led 6-1, aided by sloppy Mets defense and a misjudged fly ball from Juan Soto. Jeff McNeil then piled on with back-to-back throwing errors in the fourth.

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“Obviously, it wasn’t a good one today,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Peterson. “But we’re going to keep supporting him. We’ll need him in these next few days.”

The turning point came in the fifth, when Brandon Nimmo launched a towering three-run blast — his 25th of the season — that erased the Cubs’ lead and tied the game at 6-6. Francisco Lindor had already opened the night with his 10th leadoff homer of the year and later added a clutch RBI single in the sixth.

Chicago refused to fold. Seiya Suzuki’s RBI single tied the game 7-7 in the sixth, setting up Alvarez’s heroics two innings later. Brett Baty blooped a leadoff hit, Luisangel Acuña swiped second, and Alvarez did the rest, muscling Caleb Thielbar’s pitch deep into the night.

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Closer Edwin Díaz, summoned early for a six-out save, slammed the door in vintage fashion. Striking out five across two perfect innings, Díaz preserved the win and pounded his chest as the Mets stormed the field.

“I was fired up,” Díaz said. “After you see that homer from Alvy, it was big. I just wanted to shut it down and finish it.”

For a team that looked buried after defensive lapses and another shaky Peterson outing, the Mets left Wrigley with more than just a win — they left with a statement.

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New York Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz (39) reacts to his team’s win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Chicago.AP
Lindor’s RBI single in the sixth gave the Mets a 7-6 lead after McNeil stroked a two-out double and Alvarez walked.

Gregory Soto allowed a two-out single to Hoerner in the sixth before Tyler Rogers entered and walked Happ. Seiya Suzuki’s ensuing RBI single tied it 7-7.

In the eighth, Brett Baty blooped a leadoff single and pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña stole second before Alvarez homered against Caleb Thielbar to give the Mets a 9-7 lead.

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The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 23, 2025 in Chicago,