Overview

• The Mets beat the Cubs 8-5 behind Brett Baty’s three-run homer, Francisco Lindor’s 30th home run, rookie Nolan McLean’s 11 strikeouts and Edwin Díaz’s 28th save.
• New York sits at 82-77, one game ahead of the Reds (81-78) and two ahead of the Diamondbacks (80-79), and does not hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against either pursuer.
• The closing slate features Mets at Marlins, Reds at Brewers and Diamondbacks at Padres, with outcomes over the weekend set to decide the final NL berth.
• Cincinnati stayed within a game by edging the Pirates 2-1 as Nick Lodolo fanned 12 before leaving with a groin injury, preserving the Reds’ tiebreaker leverage.
• The Dodgers clinched the NL West with an 8-0 win that dropped Arizona two back, while the Red Sox secured an AL wild-card on Ceddanne Rafaela’s walkoff triple and the Yankees and Blue Jays remain tied atop the AL East with Toronto holding the tiebreaker.