Swanson erupts – Dansby Swanson powered the Cubs past the Mets 10-3 in the opener of a Wednesday day/night doubleheader at Citi Field, delivering a three-run homer and a grand slam to swing a 3-3 game into a rout.
New York felt quiet for a moment at 3-3—until Dansby Swanson turned a 1-0 fastball into a roar.
In the first game of a Wednesday day/night doubleheader at Citi Field. the Cubs beat the Mets 10-3 behind a two-homer. seven-RBI outburst from Swanson. The turning point came in the top of the sixth inning against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean. With runners on first and third and two outs. Swanson crushed a 1-0 fastball. sending it Statcast-projected 400 feet over the center-field wall for a three-run homer.
Swanson’s homer didn’t just give Chicago the lead—it changed the feel of the whole game. It was his second homer in the past two games.
Two innings later, he took the swing again. Swanson hit another home run off Mets right-hander Jonathan Pintaro, this time launching a grand slam to give the Cubs a seven-run cushion.
The stat line carries its own history. Swanson became the second Cubs shortstop in franchise history (since 1901) to record at least two home runs and seven RBIs in a game. The other was Ernie Banks, who did it on Aug. 4, 1955, against the Pirates.
The surge didn’t look guaranteed when the season started. On June 16, Swanson’s slash line was .175/.281/.306. But over his last five games—Wednesday’s opener included—he went 8-for-18 with four homers and 14 RBIs. The speed of that turnaround is the part that sticks: a season can swing in a handful of days.
Right-hander Javier Assad got the win for Chicago, pitching five innings and allowing three runs on five hits. The one real stain on the outing came when consecutive home runs allowed him to Jared Young and Francisco Alvarez. Young hit a two-run shot, while Alvarez followed with his own homer.
By the time Swanson finished flipping the scoreboard, the Mets had run out of answers. The Cubs left Citi Field with the kind of statement performance that doesn’t just win a game—it rewrites how the next few days might feel for the lineup.
Dansby Swanson Cubs Mets Citi Field Nolan McLean Jonathan Pintaro Javier Assad doubleheader grand slam home runs Jared Young Francisco Alvarez