Martinez hits a 3-run homer as the Mets rough up Imanaga while routing the Cubs 11-1

CHICAGO (AP) — J.D. Martinez, Francisco Alvarez and Brandon Nimmo homered against Shota Imanaga, and the New York Mets pounded the Chicago Cubs 11-1 on Friday.

Francisco Lindor had three hits and scored twice as New York won for the eighth time in nine games. Jose Iglesias went 4 for 5 with three RBIs.

“This is the kind of potential this lineup has,” Martinez said.

The Mets also improved to 12-3 in their last 15 games. They are averaging 6.6 runs and 10.3 hits during the stretch.

“The guys are doing a pretty good job turning the page and preparing for the next game,” Iglesias said.

New York became the first team to get a second look at Imanaga (7-2) during his impressive transition to the major leagues, and it tagged the Japanese left-hander for 10 runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings. Imanaga pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in a 1-0 victory at New York on May 1.

This time, the Mets scored three times before Imanaga recorded his first out. Lindor hit a leadoff double and Nimmo walked before Martinez hit a 412-foot drive to center for his ninth homer.

“Sometimes, when I am 100 percent, that's not enough,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “So I need to figure out unique ways to be better.”

Martinez said he didn't feel like Imanaga's fastball had the same life it had during his start in New York. That also caught the attention of Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

“In the bigger picture, obviously we're continuing to take a look at that,” Counsell said.

Alvarez led off the second with his second homer. With two out and Iglesias on first, Nimmo made it 6-1 when he hit an opposite-field shot for his 10th on the season.

Imanaga folded his arms across his chest after Nimmo's homer reached the bleachers in left.

“We took his heater away,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We were ready for the fastball, and when we got pitches in the zone, especially with the fastballs, we were ready to go.”

New York added four more in the fourth. Martinez chased Imanaga with an RBI single, and Iglesias capped the outburst with a two-run single off Hayden Wesneski.

Imanaga's ERA ballooned from 1.89 to 2.96 after his shortest outing with Chicago so far. He surrendered two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his first 13 major league starts.

“I felt their lineup, when I faced them today, they are different,” Imanaga said, “and then how I felt against them the previous time and today was a little different. So I definitely felt like they made an adjustment.”

New York lefty Jose Quintana (3-5) pitched four-hit ball for 6 1/3 innings in his second straight win. He allowed one unearned run, struck out eight and walked one against one of his former teams.

The Cubs dropped to 3-4 on a nine-game homestand. Cody Bellinger had two of Chicago's six hits.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: Mendoza said RHP Dedniel Núñez was feeling better. He wasn't available for Wednesday night's 5-3 loss at Texas because of a sinus infection.

Cubs: SS Dansby Swanson was replaced by a pinch hitter in the seventh. Counsell said Swanson “landed a little funny,” and the move was precautionary. ... RHP Ben Brown (neck strain) has started playing catch, but he hasn't progressed to throwing off a mound. “We're going to just increase activity as long as there's no symptoms,” Counsell said. “This could go pretty quickly here, but we're also going to be careful of recreating symptoms.”

UP NEXT

Right-handers Tylor Megill (2-3, 3.52 ERA) and Jameson Taillon (3-3, 3.08 ERA) start on Saturday. Megill pitched five innings of two-run ball in New York's 11-6 victory against San Diego last weekend. Taillon is 0-3 with a 4.34 ERA in his last seven starts for Chicago.

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New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

New York Mets' Starling Marte scores during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso cools himself off in the dugout during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo celebrates in the dugout hitting a two-run home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez looks towards the sky as he crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

HONG KONG (AP) — The sole candidate in the election for Macao’s next leader on Saturday pledged to diversify the economy of the Chinese casino city, a goal previously laid out by Beijing.

Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, said at a news conference that the diversification is a key issue he must address. At a separate event, he told election committee members who will vote on Oct. 13 that the city has learned a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macao's tourism and gaming industries suffered a big slump because of the virus controls before China rolled back its “zero-COVID” strategy in late 2022.

Sam said just relying on the gaming industry is not enough. “Otherwise, how could we handle it if big disasters arise?” he said.

Sam, 62, is widely expected to secure the leadership in next month's vote, during which a 400-member committee — mostly dominated by establishment figures — picks the leader. Most of the semi-autonomous territory’s population of 687,000 does not have a right to vote. He would be the city’s first leader from mainland China.

During the application period, he already received nominations from 386 committee members. The city’s safeguarding national security committee affirmed his loyalty to China and Macao.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed hopes that the former Portuguese colony can promote healthy and sustainable economic development and diversify its economy, which its gaming industry has dominated for decades. Macao is the only place in China where casinos are legal.

In May, incumbent Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng said the gaming industry accounted for less than 40% of the city’s gross domestic product, down from its past contribution of about 60%. Last year, his government rolled out a diversification plan to boost the tourism and leisure industry and other sectors such as traditional Chinese medicine, finance, and exhibition and commerce.

Ho decided not to seek reelection due to health reasons.

Sam was born in Guangdong province in 1962 and graduated from the law school of Peking University in Beijing. He studied the Portuguese language, culture and law at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. He once worked as a lawyer in mainland China.

Sam was the city’s top judge from when Macao returned to Chinese rule in 1999 until he resigned in August.

Critics have questioned his ability to administer a government given his lack of business and executive background.

He previously said he has worked and lived in Macao for nearly 40 years. He argued his understanding of Macao is no worse than that of many well-known figures and likened his experience of managing the city’s courts to running a small government.

Sam has also handled some politically sensitive cases during his tenure, including upholding the police’s ban on a vigil commemorating China’s bloody 1989 military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. The top court also ruled in the authorities’ favor over their decision to bar pro-democracy figures from joining the legislative election in 2021.

The sole candidate for the upcoming election for the Macao chief executive post, Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, waits for questions near the slogans "Entrepreneurship and Solidarity, Persistence and Innovation" at a press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Macao, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Kwan)

The sole candidate for the upcoming election for the Macao chief executive post, Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, speaks near the slogans "Entrepreneurship and Solidarity, Persistence and Innovation" at a press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Macao, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Kwan)

The sole candidate for the upcoming election for the Macao chief executive post, Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, waves as he leaves the stage after a press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Macao, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Kwan)