CHICAGO — Jon Niese’s luck finally ran out.
The Mets lefty had tempted fate for most of the season by putting runners on base, but you wouldn’t have known it by the 1.95 ERA he brought into Thursday’s start.
Niese had a rough fifth inning against the Cubs and was responsible for most of the damage in his team’s 6-5 loss at Wrigley Field.
“Just nothing went right,” Niese said. “It was just kind of a mixture between everything: bad luck, bad pitches and it’s unfortunate. Our offense did a great job and got us a lead. It’s unfortunate that I gave it up.”
Niese (3-3) allowed six runs, four of which were earned, on six hits a walk and two hit batters over 6¹/₃ innings as his ERA jumped to 2.49. In five of his six previous starts this season, Niese allowed one earned run or less.
Niese retired the first nine batters he faced before Dexter Fowler homered leading off the fourth to pull the Cubs within 3-1.
In the fifth, the Cubs used four hits, a walk and error to score four runs and tie the game at 5-5. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant each delivered a RBI single after Matt Szczur had blasted a run-scoring double.
“Jon Niese was absolutely dealing, and all of a sudden it was gone,” manager Terry Collins said.
Wilmer Flores’ throwing error in the fifth — the 10th the Mets have committed with Niese on the mound this season — led to an unearned run. In the seventh, Niese allowed a single to Fowler, and that run was unearned as the result of Anthony Recker’s passed ball with Hansel Robles on the mound.
“We’ve just got to forget it and go back home and play baseball like we know it’s supposed to be played,” Niese said. “Play like we did earlier in the year, executing pitches, getting guys over, getting guys in. Just all-around good baseball we’ve got to get back to.
“We’ve got to flush games like this, series like this. Getting swept is not fun, but we have a job to do when we get home.”