NEW YORK (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning and added a grand slam in the eighth inning Wednesday, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 10-3 win over the reeling New York Mets in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
The Cubs trailed 3-0 before tying the game in the fifth inning, when Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with two outs against Nolan McLean (4-5) and scored on Michael Conforto’s double before Michael Busch
hit a two-run homer off the advertising signage in right field.
Swanson, the Cubs’ No. 9 hitter, launched a two-out, 400-foot homer beyond the left-center field fence before hitting a grand slam two innings later.
Swanson also homered on Tuesday night and has three homers and 11 RBIs in the first two games of the series.
The Mets, who are expected to get Francisco Lindor back from the injured list for the nightcap, played without Juan Soto (back) in the opener, suffered their fourth straight loss and fell 11 games under .500, tying a season low. The Mets have been outscored 40-14 during their skid.
Javier Assad (6-1) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings — including back-to-back homers in the fourth inning by Jared Young and Francisco Alvarez.
McLean allowed six runs and struck out nine in six innings.
The announced crowd of 31,951 included dozens of Norwegian soccer fans adorned in soccer garb in center field. Norway is scheduled to play France in the World Cup in Massachusetts on Friday.
The Norwegians chanted and danced a conga line throughout the game — even as Swanson’s first homer landed a few hundred feet to their left.
Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.26 ERA) opposes Mets LHP Sean Manaea (1-2, 4.64 ERA) in Wednesday’s nightcap.
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