Cubs 6, Mets 5
CHICAGO -- A seventh-inning passed ball gave the Chicago Cubs a go-ahead run on the way to a 6-5 victory and a series sweep of the New York Mets on Thursday.
Mets catcher Anthony Recker mishandled Hansel Robles' 1-0 pitch with two outs, allowing Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler to score from third for what proved to be the winning run.
It was the Cubs' second straight unconventional victory. On Wednesday, they used a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth for a 2-1 victory.
Right-handed reliever Pedro Strop (1-2) worked 1 1/3 innings for the win and Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Mets starter Jonathon Niese (3-3) took the loss.
Manager Joe Maddon claimed his 800th career win as the Cubs won their fourth in a row.
The Mets, losers of four straight, also suffered their first four-game sweep at Wrigley Field since 1992.
Recker hit two solo home runs -- his first career multi-homer game -- and Wilmer Flores added one to give the Mets an early 3-0 lead.
Recker's first came with two outs in the second inning and his next came in the fourth after Flores cracked a shot to left center.
The Cubs got a run back in the fourth on Fowler's third homer of the season. Leading off the inning, he sent Niese's 1-0 offering to the corner of the left field bleachers to cut the Mets' lead to 3-1.
Cubs starter Travis Wood departed with one out in the top of the fifth and runners on second and third.
Right-handed reliever Jason Motte completed the inning but not before giving up a single to right fielder John Mayberry Jr. that scored second baseman Dilson Herrera and first baseman Lucas Duda to make it 5-1.
Wood was responsible for the runs, allowing five earned and seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
The Cubs got Wood off the hook for the loss, scoring four runs against Niese with one out in the fifth to force a 5-5 tie.
Left fielder Matt Szczur doubled home right fielder Jorge Soler with none out and Szczur came home on a throwing error on Addison Russell's grounder. After Fowler walked, first baseman Anthony Rizzo made it 5-4 with his single to shallow center that drove in Russell. Third baseman Kris Bryant tied it with an RBI single to right that drove in Fowler.
Niese worked into the bottom of the seventh before hitting Rizzo with a pitch with one out and departing in favor of Robles. Niese worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, four earned runs and one walk with one strikeout.
NOTES: The Mets placed RHP Buddy Carlyle on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Tuesday because of back spasms. In turn, they called up LHP Jack Leathersich from Triple-A Las Vegas for his second stint this season. ... The Mets send RHP Bartolo Colon (6-1, 3.30 ERA) against Brewers RHP Kyle Lohse (2-4, 7.03 ERA) in Friday's opener of a three-game series at Citi Field. ... Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo was hit by pitches twice on Thursday and has been plunked a league-leading 11 times. ... LHP James Russell made his 324th appearance with the Cubs, one away from tying Willie Hernandez for most in team history by a left-handed reliever. ... The Cubs swept the Mets in four games for the first time since Aug. 6-9, 1992. ... Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 4.65 ERA) takes the mound Friday against Pirates LHP Jeff Locke (2-2, 4.71 ERA) to open a three-game series at Wrigley Field.