Taillon pitches 7 sharp innings as the Cubs beat the Mets 8-1

CHICAGO (AP) — Jameson Taillon pitched seven crisp innings, Christopher Morel homered and the Chicago Cubs cooled off the New York Mets with an 8-1 victory on Saturday.

Taillon struck out a season-high 10 in his first win since May 4. The right-hander allowed one run and six hits.

“It's a day where he had everything going,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.

New York averaged 6.6 runs and 10.3 hits while going 12-3 in its previous 15 games, including an 11-1 victory in the series opener on Friday. But it was held in check by Taillon (4-3) and two relievers on a hot afternoon at Wrigley Field.

It was Taillon's first game with double-digit strikeouts since Aug. 4, 2021, for the New York Yankees against Baltimore.

“I'm not out there just consciously trying to get swings and misses,” Taillon said. “So it's like, if it happens, it happens. Otherwise, I'm just going to kind of keep doing me and just naturally, organically let it happen by being in good counts and stuff like that.”

Francisco Alvarez homered for the second straight day for New York, and J.D. Martinez had two of the team's seven hits. Tylor Megill (2-4) lasted just three innings in his worst start of the season.

“I just need to get better," Megill said. "Team doesn’t deserve that, bullpen sure doesn’t deserve that. Overall, just need to come out firing, get outs quick and finish hitters when I have the opportunity.”

The Cubs grabbed control with five runs in the first. Morel singled home Seiya Suzuki and scored on Dansby Swanson's double. Pete Crow-Armstrong capped the fast start with a standup triple into the corner in right, driving in Swanson.

Morel made it 6-0 with a 446-foot drive to center in the third. It was Morel's team-high 14th homer.

Tomás Nido went 1 for 4 in his first start for Chicago, driving in Crow-Armstrong with a double in the sixth. The veteran catcher was designated for assignment by the Mets on June 11 and signed with the Cubs on Wednesday.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor playfully swiped at Nido's glove after he caught a foul tip for strike three for the final out in the fifth.

“That's my brother. We've known each other since we were 10 years old,” a grinning Nido said. “So it's all fun and games.”

MAKING MOVES

The Cubs activated right-hander Keegan Thompson from the paternity list and optioned left-hander Luke Little to Triple-A Iowa.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: OF Starling Marte departed in the second because of right knee soreness — a persistent issue for the 35-year-old veteran. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Marte probably will have some testing done on Monday. ... RHP Kodai Senga (capsule strain) is expected to throw batting practice on Sunday. Mendoza said Senga will throw about 20 pitches to hitters at the team’s facility in Florida. ... RHP Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder impingement) was placed on the 15-day injured list, and LHP Danny Young was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.

UP NEXT

Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (4-2, 2.75 ERA) takes the mound on Sunday in search of his first win since May 15. He is 0-2 with a 4.75 ERA in his last six starts. Right-hander Luis Severino (4-2, 3.52 ERA) pitches for the Mets.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Chicago Cubs catcher Tomás Nido begins to celebrate a win over the New York Mets in a baseball game Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Cubs catcher Tomás Nido, left, and relief pitcher Héctor Neris celebrate after their win over the New York Mets in a baseball game Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Héctor Neris reacts after striking out New York Mets' Jeff McNeil to end a baseball game Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong reacts on third after hitting an RBI triple off New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill in the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets pitcher Tylor Megill delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez reacts towards his teammates after hitting a home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Cubs' Christopher Morel celebrates his home run off New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill in the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The friendship between Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could come under strain with the rivalry between their title-chasing Premier League clubs intensifying in recent days.

Arteta seems certain their relationship won't be damaged.

Guardiola, however, might have gotten irritated.

Arsenal’s tactics, and use of soccer’s so-called “dark arts,” brought some criticism from a number of City players after the feisty 2-2 draw between the teams last weekend.

Arteta responded rather cryptically by saying he has “all the information” about City owing to his time there as an assistant to Guardiola from 2016-19.

“So I know, believe me,” Arteta said.

Those remarks were sufficiently vague for Guardiola to wonder whether Arteta may actually be alluding to the off-the-field issues at City, which is currently defending itself against 115 charges of breaching Premier League regulations following an investigation into the club's financial affairs.

“Next time he has to be more clear exactly what does he mean," Guardiola said of Arteta. “He said he was here four years and we know exactly what happened here.

“It can be related (to) the process now with 115 charges, maybe it’s about that. He knows information about that maybe, or maybe he has something like ... I don’t know. OK, next time, like a good relation I have with him, hopefully this question has been asked. He can answer exactly what does it mean when he said he was here and ‘I know what’s happening here.'"

Guardiola was speaking Friday in a news conference that took place about the same time as Arteta was holding one at Arsenal's training base.

Asked about his relationship with Guardiola, Arteta said: “I love him, I respect him, I admire him and I admire his team and everything that he does. This is sport. One thing is our profession, another is our personal relationship.

“If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other one wins or the amount of times that they’ve beaten us, I would not talk to him any more. So that’s not our relationship, especially the relationship that I consider both of us have. In sport it will never get in my way, a personal relationship, that’s for sure."

Guardiola said he feels Arsenal might be provoking his players into a rivalry, picking up especially on post-match comments by Arsenal defender Gabriel.

“Gabriel said it perfectly after the match — so this is a war, we are here to provoke the opponent, to push them," Guardiola said. “At the end what can you do? OK, you provoke me — I’m there. You want a war? I’ll do a war."

Arsenal has finished runner-up to City in the league the last two seasons.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta, left, gestures as he stands on the touchline next to Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta, left, embraces Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola before the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)