Cubs, after dramatic win, chase series victory over Mets

Shoddy defense cost the Chicago Cubs a chance to win on Tuesday against the New York Mets.

It didn't take the Chicago defense long to redeem itself.

The visiting Cubs will look to build off a dramatic, defense-aided win Wednesday night when they oppose the New York Mets in the finale of a four-game series Thursday afternoon.

Ben Brown (0-1, 4.30 ERA) is slated to start for the Cubs against fellow right-hander Adrian Houser (0-3, 8.37 ERA).

The Cubs turned a game-ending, 7-5-2 double play on Wednesday to edge the Mets 1-0.

With one out in the ninth, Chicago closer Hector Neris plunked Pete Alonso, after which J.D. Martinez doubled off the glove of Pete Crow-Armstrong in deep right-center field. Alonso, who had to pause while waiting to see if Crow-Armstrong would catch the ball, stopped at third base.

Jeff McNeil followed with a fly ball to Ian Happ in medium left field. As Alonso tagged up, Happ's throw was cut off by third baseman Nick Madrigal, who threw to catcher Miguel Amaya, who blocked the plate and tagged Alonso.

The Mets challenged the call, which stood following a review of several minutes at MLB's replay center. The dramatic double play made a winner of rookie Shota Imanaga, who tossed seven scoreless innings in the latest strong start by a Cubs pitcher.

Chicago starters Jameson Taillon, Javier Assad and Imanaga combined to allow just two runs in 19 1/3 innings over the past three games. The Cubs earned a 3-1 win on Monday, when Mets starter Luis Severino carried a no-hitter into the eighth, before a pair of errors led to three New York runs in the hosts' 4-2 win on Tuesday.

"We've pitched super, super well and then a defensive play to win the game," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "It was a clean game on our end and kudos to the pitching staff again."

The Mets got another impressive outing from their starter on Wednesday -- Jose Butto gave up one run in six innings after strong outings by Severino (one run in eight innings) and Sean Manaea (one run in five innings on Tuesday) -- but were disappointed afterward by what they believed to be a wrongful interpretation of the rules.

Replays showed Amaya had his left foot on the plate as Alonso bore down on him. Manager Carlos Mendoza said he believed such positioning is illegal based on a memo sent by MLB during spring training.

"Catchers are not allowed to have their foot in front of the plate, on top of the plate -- they cannot straddle without possession of the baseball," Mendoza said. "It was very clear that (Amaya) had his left foot on top of the plate without the baseball."

Brown took a loss in his most recent outing, when he gave up three runs over 3 2/3 innings as the Cubs fell 17-0 to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday. The rookie has never opposed the Mets.

Houser absorbed a defeat on Saturday after allowing six runs over 4 1/3 innings as the Mets fell 7-4 to the St. Louis Cardinals. He is 3-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 13 career games (eight starts) against the Cubs.