• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Beltran, Mets down Cubs in rain-shortened contest

May 26, 2011 - 5:11 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Carlos Beltran had a pair of hits and drove in two runs as the New York Mets topped the Chicago Cubs, 7-4, in a rain- shortened middle tilt of a three-game set.

Dillon Gee (4-0) allowed four runs on four hits in six solid innings for the Mets, who snapped a three-game losing streak where they surrendered 27 runs.

"I couldn't find it in the first inning," Gee said. "After my team dug me out of it, I really focused on doing well for the team."

Daniel Murphy also knocked in two runs to hand the Cubs their second rain- shortened loss this month. Chicago also dropped a 3-0 decision to the Giants in seven innings at Wrigley Field on May 14.

Reed Johnson and Alfonso Soriano each recorded two RBI for the Cubs, who have alternated wins and losses during the last six games.

Chicago used four pitchers through six innings, with starter Casey Coleman (2-4) suffering the loss in a brief outing. He gave up six runs on seven hits through just 1 1/3 innings.

The game settled down right when the weather started to pick up. Howling winds whipped around Wrigley Field and rain started to pelt the field during the sixth. With two outs in seventh, plate umpire Dan Iassogna called for the tarps and 41 minutes later the game was called.

"I think a lot of us were upset," Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney said. "Having experience in this weather, we knew we had to work quick. I thought we could have gotten another inning in."

The Cubs couldn't hold onto a 4-1 first-inning lead very long and were never able to crawl their way back before a large storm swept through the Chicago area.

Down by three, the Mets started off the second with consecutive singles by Jason Pridie and Ruben Tejada. Pitcher Dillon Gee bunted into a force out at third before Jose Reyes singled to load the bases.

Josh Thole's single brought in a run and kept the bags full to set the table for Beltran's double that landed on the center field warning track to bring in two runs.

After that, Coleman was pulled in favor of Justin Berg, who walked the three batters he faced, pushing across two runs. Chicago was forced to make its second pitching move in 1 1/3 innings when James Russell replaced Berg to fan both Pridie and Tejada to end the nightmare inning.

The Mets loaded the bases again in the fifth, but only could get one run on a Gee sacrifice fly.

During the top of the first, Mike Murphy hit a slow roller deep through the right side that clipped off of first baseman Carlos Pena's glove to allow Beltran to round third and score for the game's first run.

With the bases loaded and two down, the Cubs responded with back-to-back doubles to bring home four runs. Johnson laced a grounder down third base line to bring home Kosuke Fukudome and Starlin Castro. Soriano then ripped a shot off the ivy wall in right field to push across Carlos Pena and Johnson for a 4-1 lead.

Game Notes

With the win, the Mets knotted up the all-time series, 344-344. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that has been the most games (688) played between any pair of teams in Major League history in a series that was tied all-time...New York outfielder Scott Hairston turned 31 on Wednesday and right-handed pitcher Chris Young turned 32...Beltran hit his first triple of the season in the sixth inning.