Mets go into break on low note

An up-and-down first half of the season ended way down for the Mets yesterday.

The Amazin's stumbled into the All-Star break this weekend by dropping two of three to the lowly Chicago Cubs, including a 7-0 loss yesterday afternoon.

Jonathon Niese (7-4) ended a good first half on a bad note, allowing all seven runs.

"[The Cubs] came out swinging," manager Terry Collins told reporters. "He was trying to get ahead [and] they were hammering the first pitch."

With the loss, the Mets fell a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves for the wild card.

The Cubs, who have taken four of six from the Mets this season despite having the second-worst record in the National League, jumped all over Niese early, reaching base with five of their first six batters en route to a 4-0 lead.

The Mets squandered their chances to claw back. In the third, after two singles, Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis popped out, sandwiching a David Murphy strikeout. In the sixth, Lucas Duda grounded into a double play to kill any potential rally.(Michael Cunniff)