The once explosive Cubs-Mets rivalry is now nothing more that a meaningless late season three game glorified exhibition series.The Cubs took the opener of this Holiday weekend series 7-6 as Alfonso Soriano and Blake DeWitt each homered. The Mets got to Randy Wells for a three spot in the top of the first when David Wright doubled in former Cub Angel Pagan-who had singled,and Lucas Duda whom Wells walked.Later Joaquin Arias’s fielder’s choice grounder scored Wright. R.A.Dickey’s knuckler was effective for three innings,but the Cubs got to him in the bottom of the fourth. Starlin Castro and Marlon Byrd singled and one out later Xavier Nady singled to score Castro.With two gone, Soriano nailed a three run homer to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead. In the 6th,the Mets tied it. Pagan singled and Duda greeted reliever James Russell with his first Big League hit and RBI off a double into the RF corner. The Cubs regained the edge in the bottom of the 6th when Aramis Ramirez walked and Nady singled. Both scored when DeWitt hit a line drive three run homer into the RF Bleachers with two gone. Wright got one back in the top of the 7th with a homer to the Left Field seats against Andrew Cashner. Then it became a one run game again when Luis Hernandez,who had entered as part of a double switch in the Cub 7th, nailed a homer to right off Sean Marshall.Carlos Marmol worked the ninth for the save,but of course walked a batter.NOTES—Attendance was 31,424 as the second half of this season surge of non sellouts continued.
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