NEW YORK _ Knocking out Noah Syndergaard after three innings almost wasn't enough for the Cubs to gain ground in the National League Central for the first time in a week.
Despite holding a nine-run lead after three, the Cubs needed five relievers Wednesday to hold on for a 10-7 victory over the Mets and cut their deficit to two games behind the Cardinals.
The Cubs (71-61) extended their road winning streak to four games _ their longest road streak since winning five straight from April 27 to May 14. They also captured their second consecutive road series.
But their most significant achievements were knocking out Syndergaard and gaining ground in the division for the first time since Aug. 21.
The Cubs quickly ended Syndergaard's five-start streak of allowing two earned runs or fewer while throwing at least six innings. He entered Wednesday's game with a 3.00 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs.
A throwing error by shortstop Amed Rosario on a potential double-play grounder paved the way for six runs in the first. Ian Happ capped the rally with a two-run home run in his first at-bat against Syndergaard.
Kyle Schwarber, who hit an RBI double in the first, added a two-run, opposite-field home run to left in the second. Schwarber's homer was his 31st, exceeding his career high set in 2017.
Nicholas Castellanos, who was hit on the left hand by a 98 mph pitch from Syndergaard in the first, hit a two-run, opposite field homer to right to extend the Cubs' lead to 10-1.
The three home runs against Syndergaard were a career high, and he hadn't allowed more than seven runs in a start before Wednesday.
But Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks, who had allowed one run on six hits in 14 innings covering his last two starts, quickly lost a large chunk of his nine-run lead in the fifth as he allowed four consecutive hits after retiring the first batter.
The biggest blows were consecutive home runs by Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis. Hendricks retired Pete Alonso on a foul pop to third, but Joe Panik hit a soft single to left to score Wilson Ramos and prompt manager Joe Maddon to pull Hendricks one out short of qualifying for a victory.
The Mets put the first two batters on in the sixth, but left-hander Kyle Ryan induced Davis to ground into a double play and Michael Conforto to ground to second.
Shortstop Javier Baez committed a throwing error to open the eighth, and McNeil followed with a double. But Rowan Wick, the Cubs' fourth reliever, retired the next three batters in limiting the Mets to one run.
Craig Kimbrel allowed a hit and walk to start the ninth but retired the final three batters to earn his 12th save.
