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Cubs eye first 4-game sweep of Mets since 1992

May 14, 2015 - 12:55 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Cubs try to secure their first four-game sweep of the New York Mets since 1992 on Thursday afternoon when the clubs conclude their set at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs have held the Mets to just five runs over the first three games of the series and slipped by New York 2-1 on Wednesday night. Chicago plated the winning run in the ninth inning when Chris Coghlan drew a bases-loaded walk off New York closer Jeurys Familia.

Dexter Fowler hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to tie the game for Chicago before Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro hit consecutive singles to start the ninth. The Mets opted to load the bases with an intentional walk to Miguel Montero and Familia came in the game to strike out Jorge Soler, but then threw four of his five pitches to Coghlan outside the strike zone.

"In those situations, you have to really control your emotions because you want to be the guy. Everybody wants to be the guy to drive in the winning run," said Coghlan. "He didn't really give me anything to hit, so I took my walk."

The Cubs had lost two straight and three of four coming into this series, but can record their first four-game sweep of the Mets since Aug. 6-9, 1992 in Chicago.

Daniel Murphy had two of New York's six hits and Michael Cuddyer had an RBI in his club's third straight loss.

"We're in a little bit of a rut right now, but obviously everybody goes through that. Tomorrow's the first day to come out of it," Mets starter Matt Harvey said following a no-decision..

The red-hot Jon Niese gets the start for the Mets today looking to improve on his 3-2 record and 1.95 earned run average.

Niese has allowed one or fewer earned run in all but one of his six starts this season and was charged with only two unearned runs over seven innings of a 3-2 victory at Philadelphia on Saturday. He scattered five hits and one walk while striking out six.

The left-hander is 3-4 with a 5.16 ERA in eight career meetings with the Cubs.

Travis Wood aims to rebound from his first loss in a month when he toes the rubber this afternoon against the Mets.

Wood picked up his first setback since April 10 with a 12-4 defeat at the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. The left-hander struggled over a season-low four innings, charged with six runs -- four earned -- on six hits and a walk. Wood allowed a pair of homers while striking out three.

Wood fell to 2-2 with a 4.96 ERA on the season and has a 2-1 mark and 3.34 ERA in six career games versus the Mets.

The Cubs won five of seven versus the Mets last season, sweeping a three-game set at home.