CHICAGO — On a chilly night at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs offense didn’t rely solely on hits to put runners on base and score runs.
The Cubs walked six times — including one that brought home a run — and got a big game from second baseman Eric Sogard in a 3-1 win against the New York Mets.
Sogard went 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI single. He initially wasn’t in the lineup but replaced David Bote, who was scratched because of an upset stomach.
Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel escaped a bases-loaded situation in the ninth inning, getting Francisco Lindor to ground out to first to end the game.
A heads-up play by Sogard resulted in the Cubs’ first run. He reached on a leadoff walk in the third and advanced on Jake Arrieta’s sacrifice bunt. On Willson Conteras’ two-out grounder, Sogard alertly tracked the throw from Mets third baseman J.D. Davis, whose low throw couldn’t be handled by first baseman Pete Alonso. Sogard was running on contact and continued around third when he saw the ball get away from Alonso.
Sogard came through again the next inning, this time at the plate. Jason Heyward’s two-out steal set up the veteran for an RBI opportunity, and he cashed in with a single to center. Sogard scored later in the fourth on Contreras’ bases-loaded walk — the Cubs’ third consecutive walk against Mets starter Taijuan Walker.
Arrieta held the Mets to one run in five innings. His final inning proved to be his most challenging, surviving a leadoff homer by Davis and stranding runners on the corners.
