After getting pummeled by the visiting New York Mets in the first few innings of their series opener on Friday, the Chicago Cubs returned the favor in Saturday’s rematch and rolled to an 8-1 home victory to even up the three-game series.

Chicago jumped all over Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill and scored five runs in the first inning. Christopher Morel homered in the third, his 14th long ball this season.

Chicago’s Jameson Taillon (4-3) logged his first win on the mound since May 4. Taillon gave up just one earned run and six hits over seven innings. He recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts and didn’t walk any batters.

Megill (2-4) was relieved after allowing six runs and five hits over three innings. He appeared to settle down after his nightmarish first frame and finished with six strikeouts.

All nine batters in Chicago’s lineup made a plate appearance in the first inning. Dansby Swanson recorded an RBI double and Pete Crow-Armstrong chipped in a RBI triple, while Seiya Suzuki and Morel each had RBI singles. Ian Happ supplied an RBI groundout in the high-scoring half-inning.

Francisco Alvarez got New York on the board with a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning, but the Mets’ red-hot bats were kept in check. Saturday marked the first time New York was held to fewer than two runs since a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 28.

The Mets left runners in scoring position in the fourth, seventh and ninth innings.

Colten Brewer and Hector Neris each pitched an inning in relief for the Cubs after Taillon’s quality start. Brewer struck out two batters and didn’t give up any hits or runs. Neris surrendered a double to Tyrone Taylor and a walk to Alvarez but struck out Jeff McNeil to end the game.

Tomas Nido, who signed with the Cubs on Wednesday after the Mets designated the veteran catcher for assignment, made his first start for Chicago against his former team.

Nido hit a RBI double in the sixth inning and later scored a run on an error. He went 1-for-4.

–Field Level Media