CHICAGO -- When explaining on Tuesday why the Mets have not given Dominic Smith much opportunity in the big leagues this season, assistant general manager John Ricco, unprompted, mentioned Jacob deGrom.
"We've got a player who's looking to try to get a [National League] Cy Young Award," Ricco said. "We owe it to him to try to put the best team out there that we can."
It was with that as background that manager Mickey Callaway decided to play Jay Bruce at first base for just the 20th time in his 1,483-game career. The decision haunted the Mets when Bruce was unable to handle a potential double-play ball in the seventh inning, allowing David Bote to drive home the Cubs' only run in a game that was suspended due to rain, with the score tied at 1 in the 10th at Wrigley Field.
The teams will resume play on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET, prior to the series finale.
Relying almost exclusively on fastballs over the game's first three innings, deGrom hit a career-high 99.7 mph on the radar gun in striking out six of the first 11 batters he faced. The Mets received a brief scare when deGrom slipped and fell attempting to field Javier Baez's soft ground ball in the fourth inning, but he recovered from that to hold the Cubs scoreless into the seventh.
All told, deGrom allowed one run in eight innings with 10 strikeouts.
"The guy is as advertised," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's different. That's another level of stuff."
Things did not come easily for deGrom in the seventh, however, when pinch-hitter Benjamin Zobrist hit a sharp ground ball to first base, a step to Bruce's right. The ball skipped past Bruce and into right field, giving the Cubs runners on the corners. Bote then lofted a tying sacrifice fly.
Because the game was still in progress late Tuesday night, the club did not make Bruce available for comment.
"That's a tough play," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. " It's such a reaction play. It's hit so hard, you just kind of stick your glove over there. It kind of stayed down on him instead of bouncing into his glove. So it's a tough play. I think the more and more he gets reps over there … he'll get more and more comfortable with it. But it's still a tough play."
Despite multiple rallies against Cubs starter Cole Hamels, the Mets could not break through to support deGrom. It took a deGrom RBI single off Brandon Kintzler in the sixth for the Mets to crack a scoreless tie; in six August starts, deGrom has allowed six runs and driven in three.
And that has become the norm for him. Since the NL Cy Young Award has become a realistic goal for deGrom, he seems to have hit another gear; despite insisting that he pays no attention to the race for that prestigious pitching honor, deGrom has become more animated on the field, pumping his fist after big outs and growing agitated when things don't unfold as he desires.
Mostly, though, deGrom is having his way with NL hitters. Allowing three or fewer runs for the 24th straight start, deGrom tied Dwight Gooden's 32-year-old Major League record. He also notched his 19th consecutive quality start (at least six innings and no more than three runs allowed) to match Tom Seaver's 45-year-old franchise record.
"He continues to do the job," Callaway said. "He's just an all-around player, and the best pitcher in baseball at this point."
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Helping his own cause: Already having beaten out an infield single earlier in the game, deGrom came to the plate in the sixth with two runners in scoring position and two out. With the defense leaving a big gap in the left side of the infield, deGrom found the hole with a ground ball, plating Todd Frazier for the Mets' only run.
Since going 3-for-42 at the plate in his first 20 starts, deGrom is 5-for-16 with three RBIs.
"I was just trying to put the ball in play, honestly," deGrom said. "I didn't really know what he was going to throw me. I was just trying to put the barrel to the ball."
SOUND SMART
The suspended game is the Mets' first since June 27, 2015, when rain halted play in the seventh inning at Citi Field. The Mets and Reds played six more innings the following day, until Lucas Duda finally hit a walk-off fielder's choice in the 13th.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Throwing almost exclusively fastballs over the game's first two innings, deGrom ended the first with a 99.7-mph heater to strike out Baez -- the fastest pitch of his career.
"I was able to locate it in, out, up down," deGrom said of his fastball. "Those guys were geared up for it and I kept throwing it. I wanted to make them hit it before we went to the offspeed."
HE SAID IT
"I think Jay has done a really good job the days he's over there at first, and I think he's a good option defensively and offensively for us. We obviously try to make sure we put the best lineup we can every night, giving guys rest and matchups on the pitching, and having our best defense possible out there." -- Callaway, on Bruce
MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
An early Mets rally was cut short when Amed Rosario and Jeff McNeil attempted a double steal in the third inning. Umpire Eric Cooper initially ruled Rosario safe at third, but a review revealed Rosario did not touch the base before Bote tagged him. Instead of having runners on second and third with one out, the Mets were left with a man on second and two out. They did not score.
FROM THE TRAINER'S ROOM
The Mets kept reliever Robert Gsellman quarantined in their team hotel during the game due to a bout of strep throat. Gsellman, whose innings are being limited down the stretch, has not pitched since Friday, but the club expects him to be ready to go when the suspended game resumes.
UP NEXT
Following the suspended game at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, left-hander Jason Vargas will start the regularly scheduled series finale at Wrigley Field after a 45-minute break. Rookie right-hander Alec Mills starts for Chicago. Vargas looks to continue his recent spurt of success -- going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his past three starts.