Game #63: Cubs 5, Mets 2

Behold a game recap that took almost as long to write as the game itself.

Scott Rice and Brandon Lyon imploded in the 8th inning to allow the Cubs three insurance runs as the Mets offense failed to find traction in an agonizingly slow 5-2 loss.

The Bad Stuff:

• With a more capable offense, a 2-1 deficit may have been surmountable. But 5-1? No chance, and that's what Scott Rice and Brandon Lyon combined to create in an 8th inning that put Chicago up for good.
• After Jordany Valdespin drove in a run in the bottom of the 8th to put two runners on, New York had their best chance to get back into the game with their only two major-league hitters. But Daniel Murphy could only muster a productive groundout, and David Wright chased a slider in the dirt to doom the team's final rally.

The Good Stuff:

• Jonathon Niese was stuck with the loss after allowing two runs in 5.2 innings, including six hits, four walks, and five strikeouts.
• Murphy and Wright did combine for the team's first run, knocking back-to-back doubles in the 4th inning.

Final Analysis:
The least they could do at this point is get the game over with in less than three hours and thirty-two ticking minutes.

MM