Cubs 6, Mets 1
CHICAGO -- Right-hander Jake Arrieta allowed one run on three hits in a season-high eight innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 6-1 Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
Arrieta walked two while striking out a season-high 10.
The victory was the second straight for the Cubs to open the four-game series.
Arrieta (4-3) worked his longest outing since a nine-inning shutout win on Sept. 16, 2014, against the Cincinnati Reds.
Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard was also quite good through much of his major league debut.
Syndergaard successfully worked out of jams in the third and fifth innings, but his good fortune ended as the Cubs broke the game open in the sixth.
Shortstop Starlin Castro doubled home right fielder Jorge Soler to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Castro came home on left fielder Chris Coghlan's fourth homer of the year.
Syndergaard (0-1) struck out Arrieta and then departed after allowing three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out six.
Left-handed reliever Alex Torres replaced Syndergaard and walked the bases loaded. Catcher Miguel Montero's infield single with two outs scored third baseman Kris Bryant to make it 4-0.
Second baseman Addison Russell's RBI double off left-hander Sean Gilmartin with two out in the seventh scored Castro for a 5-0 Cubs lead.
Arrieta gave up back-to-back singles to open the eighth, and first baseman Lucas Duda scored from third on catcher Kevin Plawecki's sacrifice fly to break the shutout.
In the bottom of the eighth, Bryant got the run back with a leadoff solo home run off Mets right-hander Hansel Robles to left to make it 6-1. It was his second homer in as many nights.
Bryant went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Castro was 2-for-4 with two runs, and Soler was 2-for-5 with a run.
NOTES: The Mets bullpen allowed just one run in 21 1/3 innings (0.42 ERA) in May before giving up three runs in 2 2/3 innings Tuesday. ... New York C Kevin Plawecki is batting .545 with runners in scoring position. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey (5-1, 2.72 ERA) will face Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (3-1, 3.52 ERA) on Wednesday. ... Wrigley Field has not been the Friendly Confines for the visiting Mets, who have lost six of their past seven series there and four straight. ... Cubs batters were averaging 3.99 pitches per plate appearance through Monday, the most in the National League and second in the majors. ... Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo hit his 99th career double. He also walked three times in five plate appearances.