CHICAGO — Pete Alonso hit his 26th home run to set the National League record for most homers by a rookie before the All-Star Game as the Mets routed the Cubs, 10-2, on Saturday at Wrigley Field.
Alonso broke a tie with the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger (2017). He’s still seven short of Mark McGwire’s major-league-record 33, accomplished in 1987.
Todd Frazier and Wilson Ramos also homered for the Mets, who won consecutive road games for the first time in more than two months.
Zack Wheeler allowed one run on five hits in seven innings to bounce back after losing his previous two starts. Wheeler, a right-hander, retired 15 straight batters from the second through the sixth.
Alonso went 2 for 4 with a walk and tied Darryl Strawberry (1983) for the Mets’ rookie record for homers in a season. Jeff McNeil went 2 for 4 with three runs batted in.
The Mets are 17-26 away from Citi Field this season and last won back-to-back road games on April 11 and 12 in Atlanta.
Jason Heyward went 3 for 4 as the N.L. Central-leading Cubs dropped back-to-back home games for the first time in nearly a month.
Cubs starter Jose Quintana was roughed up for nine runs on nine hits in four and a third innings. Quintana, a left-hander, allowed a career-high-tying three homers despite a steady wind blowing in from right to left at Wrigley Field.
The backup catcher Victor Caratini, who started at first, came in in the ninth to make his fourth pitching appearance with Chicago. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning and provided a highlight with a running grab of a dribbler toward third and a jump throw to first to nail Ramos to end the inning.
The Mets scored in each of the first six innings. Alonso began the barrage with a solo blast in the first. McNeil made the score, 3-0, with a two-run single in the second. Frazier’s two-run homer in the third made it 5-0 and provided a comical moment.
After connecting on a 3-1 pitch, Frazier didn’t think he hit it well enough to get through the wind. He tossed his bat in frustration and jogged toward first. He was surprised when it reached the bleachers and pumped his fist in celebration.
McNeil added an R.B.I. double in the fourth to make it 6-0. In the fifth, Michael Conforto had an R.B.I. single and Ramos followed with a two-run shot to chase Quintana.
In the sixth, Frazier drove in a run with a two-out infield single against reliever Rowan Wick to make it 10-0.
INSIDE PITCH
Noah Syndergaard (right hamstring) threw a bullpen session on Saturday, and is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. … Infielder Jed Lawrie (left knee and hamstring) is doing some baseball activities, but it’s unclear when he’ll be ready for rehab games. “It sounds like they’re treating the left leg from the hip all the way down to the knee,” Manager Mickey Callaway said. “It’s improving. We just don’t have a timeline.”
