Mets pounce on Cubs again to take commanding 3-0 lead in NLCS

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The Cubs returned home to Chicago for Game 3 hoping things would finally bounce their way.

They're still waiting.

The Mets made all the right moves and outplayed the Cubs again to go up 3-0 in the NLCS with a 5-2 victory in front of 42,231 fans at Wrigley Field on Tuesday evening.

"Again, another close game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We have to score more runs. And they played exceptionally well."

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Things looked to be bouncing the Cubs' way when Jorge Soler misplayed a ball in right field in the sixth inning, but it skipped into the ivy for a ground-rule double, keeping a run from scoring.

But the winning run had already come in the form of a dropped third strike when Yoenis Cespedes scored on Trevor Cahill's wild pitch on strike three with two outs in the sixth.

The Mets piled on in the seventh as the Cubs made several defensive miscues that led to two more New York runs, extending the Mets' lead to 5-2.

Is everything just coming up Mets right now?

"We felt that way the first two games," Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks said. "Things bounce your way when you play well, though."

The Cubs offense looked like it had a lot more life early of Jacob deGrom, collecting three hits in the first five batters of the game, including a Kyle Schwarber homer.

But the only hit over the next six innings was a Soler homer in the fourth. Dexter Fowler lined a one-out double down the right-field line in the eighth, but Schwarber popped out and Kris Bryant flew out to end the threat.

"We actually hit some balls hard and got off to a better start," Hendricks said. "But deGrom, he's really good. He buckled down in those later innings, made some really, really good pitches.

"Sometimes there's nothing you can do when a guy's just dotting it up like that."

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The Mets' young pitching got to the Cubs again as deGrom allowed only four hits and a walk while striking out seven in seven innings.

"It's tough," Miguel Montero said. "We can't get anything going. If we get a little rally going - a hit here, a hit there - maybe it's a different story. But we haven't created any type of momentum."

The Cubs have not led at any point in this series, scoring five runs in three games. In 27 innings, the Cubs offense has managed to get the leadoff batter on just twice (both in Game 1).

"They pitched well. There is no other way to slice it, cut it, describe it," Maddon said. "They have pitched well."

Kyle Hendricks lasted just four innings for the Cubs, serving up solo runs in the first and third innings.

Daniel Murphy had another big game for the Mets with a homer, single and two runs scored.

The Cubs know their backs are against the wall.

"Gotta go home and try to forget what happened today," Montero said. "It was a tough one. We gotta come back tomorrow.

"We're out of options. The only option we have is win tomorrow."

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