CHICAGO -- This was how it had to go for the Mets.
Enduring one of the worst losing streaks in franchise history, and grasping to a one-run lead in the ninth Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Chicago’s Michael Conforto, who spent the first seven years of his career as a Met, smacked a game-tying double to erase New York's lead and send things to extra innings.
Then the Mets, who have struggled to hit with runners in scoring position and have scored two or fewer runs nine times in the past 11 games, were unable to get the automatic runner at second base home in the 10th.
In the bottom of the frame, Nico Hoerner walked it off with a sacrifice fly to hand the Mets a 2-1 loss. It’s now 11 straight losses for New York, matching the club's longest losing streak since Aug. 28-Sept. 28, 2004. That team finished 71-91.
New York hasn’t lost 12 in a row since 2002. The team has an off-day on Monday to plan how to avoid that.
It was one of the most painful but foreseeable losses for the Mets, as MJ Melendez provided their only run with a solo blast in the fifth inning. New York finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, with the only hit an infield single in the 10th by Marcus Semien that did not score a run.
Tobias Myers opened with two scoreless innings before David Peterson tossed 3 2/3 frames behind him. But Devin Williams was unable to close the door in the ninth inning, and Craig Kimbrel’s wild pitch moved the Cubs’ automatic runner to third base in the 10th, solidifying the latest tough break to the Mets’ 2026 season.