Mets 11, Cubs 1: All you can do is laugh

You know, I could just say the Cubs lost to the Mets 11-1 on a beautiful Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field and leave things at that, just continue and look at tomorrow’s game.

However, there are a few things worth mentioning here and then we’ll just, as Kyle Hendricks has been quoted, “flush this one and move on.”

From BCB’s JohnW53:

Every Cubs starter since 1901 who has given up double-digit runs and hits in three innings or fewer:

1. Joe Coleman, on June 19, 1976, at Atlanta: 11 runs on 10 hits in 2⅔ IP

2. Drew Hall, on Aug. 16, 1987, at home vs. the Mets: 10 runs on 10 hits in 1⅔ IP

3. Shota Imanaga, today, at home vs. the Mets: 10 runs on 10 hits in 3 IP

This is the Cubs’ 19,255th game since Opening Day of 1901.

So, that’s how bad this game was. John hinted to me in a message that maybe Imanaga was tipping his pitches, and that’s entirely possible. Or maybe the Mets, having faced him previously, figured him out. That’s not a good thing going forward, of course. And as bad as this outing was for Imanaga, his season ERA is still under 3.00 at 2.96. So... hopefully next time will be better.

This game was close, for a short time, anyway, after the Mets scored three in the top of the first on a three-run homer by J.D. Martinez.

In the bottom of the inning, Nico Hoerner led off with a walk, advanced to second on a Mets error on a Seiya Suzuki ground ball and took third on a single by Cody Bellinger.

Bases loaded, nobody out! What could possibly go wrong?

This [VIDEO].

Christopher Morel hit into a double play. Hoerner scored to make it 3-1, but Ian Happ struck out to end the inning.

That’s as close as it got. The Mets piled on three more in the second off Imanaga, including another homer (Brandon Nimmo), one more in the third and four in the fourth, two of them scoring after Craig Counsell had mercy and lifted Imanaga for Hayden Wesneski.

At 10-1, it would have at least been entertaining if position players had pitched the rest of the game, because things were that far out of reach. The Cubs did get a handful of runners to scoring position, in the third, seventh and eighth, but all that accomplished is lowering the team BA with RISP, because they went 1-for-7.

A couple of good things: Porter Hodge threw 2⅓ scoreless innings and struck out five. I like Hodge and he has a good repertoire. Even if the Cubs don’t keep him around when Keegan Thompson returns from paternity leave, I think Hodge has a decent future with this team. And Luke Little threw 1⅔ scoreless innings to finish up.

Here are Hodge’s five K’s [VIDEO].

As is often said about blowouts like this, they only count as one loss and the Cubs actually can still take this series by winning Saturday and Sunday. Easier said than done, I know.

So that’s about all I have to say about this game, except that Wrigley Field’s announced crowd of 37,037 started bailing in the fifth inning. By game’s end there were probably no more than about 8,000 remaining. Can’t say I blame them.

Oh, one last thing, and of course I know it doesn’t matter which uniform the Cubs wear, but:

White pinstripe and road gray: 34-27
Blue alternate and City Connect: 2-13

Just going to leave that there.

Saturday afternoon, these teams meet again. Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs and Tylor Megill will go for the Mets. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network — and also on FS1 (no blackouts).