NEW YORK -- When Zack Wheeler put the first two batters on in the second inning, he dialed it up with three strikeouts. Saints Jerseys 2021 . When he saw how his pitch count was a bit high, he threw more to contact. Either way, everything is starting to work for the rising star. Wheeler struck out 10 in a gritty performance, Eric Campbell hit a three-run homer and the New York Mets beat the free-swinging Chicago Cubs 3-2 Friday night. "When he gets you in certain situations, those guys, they dont know whats coming," said manager Terry Collins, complimenting Wheelers assortment of pitches. "They just cant sit on one pitch." Wheeler (8-8) threw a career-high 120 pitches in 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits. He walked four and hit a batter but overpowered the Cubs in winning his fifth consecutive decision. "The big thing is trying to keep my pitch count down and I really havent been able to do that," Wheeler said when talking about going deeper in games. The Cubs entered having struck out 77 times in their previous seven games, including 16 on Thursday in a loss to Milwaukee. Five of their first six outs Friday came by the K, and they fanned 14 times overall. Pitching with a hernia, Jenrry Mejia fanned one in a perfect ninth for his 18th save. "We have been facing some pretty good pitching. This guy today was pretty good, too," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "When you face arms like that, it happens. I thought we had a lot of really strong at-bats in terms of driving his pitch count up." Travis Wood (7-10) gave up three runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings to drop to 0-5 in his last 11 starts. The Mets rebounded from a dreadful three-game sweep at the hands of the NL East-leading Washington Nationals to beat the Centrals last-place Cubs for just the first time in four meetings between the teams this season. Chicago swept three games at Wrigley Field in June. "We need to start playing better, theres no doubt about it," Campbell said. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the third -- the one inning Wheeler did not record a K -- behind Anthony Rizzos run-scoring groundout and Starlin Castros RBI single. Campbell hit the second homer of his career an out after Wood walked David Wright and Lucas Duda. "Walks killed me," Wood said. TRAINERS ROOM Cubs: Luis Valbuena is being held out of the starting lineup Friday and Saturday. Renteria thinks the scuffling infielder needs a break. Valbuena also has a cold. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter to end the game to fall to 1 for 30. Mets: Right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka (elbow inflammation) will make a rehabilitation start for Double-A Binghamton on Saturday. Collins says he is not sure where Matsuzaka will fit when he returns. UP NEXT Cubs: Right-hander Dan Straily, obtained in the trade that sent Jeff Samardzija to Oakland on July 5, will make his Cubs debut. Renteria said Straily is being called up from Triple-A Iowa to give the rest of the rotation an extra days rest. The team is in a stretch of having a game on 20 straight days. OF Junior Lake is being sent to Iowa. Mets: Jonathon Niese (6-8) is 2-4 with a 5.26 ERA against the Cubs. Castro is 5 for 16 (.313) with a homer and five RBIs against the left-hander WISHFUL THINKING Some Mets fans recently have called for their beleaguered team to make a deal with the shortstop-rich Cubs for Castro. If Castro, who is signed with Chicago through 2019, has his say, hell stay right where he is. "I know a lot of teams could have me and want me, but Im here and I dont want to leave here," Castro said. THAT DIDNT WORK When Juan Lagares hit a one-out fly to right field in the sixth, Campbell took off running. Collins said he was given a steal sign, but Campbell was at third base before he turned back. Ryan Sweeney made an easy throw into the infield for the double play. Rizzo, the first baseman, dropped the ball and catcher Wellington Castillo had to pick it up and step on the base for a rare 9-3-2 double play. ITS OFFICIAL The Mets gave OF Chris Young his unconditional release. Young, who is making $7.25 million this year, was designated for assignment last week after hitting .205 with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 254 at-bats. Saints Jerseys 2020 . Cavaliers shooting guard Craig Ehlo makes a solid play on the ball, but still Jordan hits the amazing shot. Saints Jerseys China . Alvarez hit his first career home run, pitched six innings and hurt his right hamstring while running the bases in the Miami Marlins 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. https://www.saintsjerseyssale.com/ . Rinehart joins safety Darrell Stuckey and linebacker Donald Butler as potential unrestricted free agents who are remaining with the team.ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- Gleason Fournier scored the shootout winner as the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Abbotsford Heat 4-3 Friday in American Hockey League action. Fournier was the eighth Griffins shooter and had a chance to win the game after Petr Mrazek came out to stop Abbotsfords Chad Billins. Fournier beat Olivier Roy stick side to clinch the win for the visitors. Teeumu Pulkkinen scored twice, giving him a team-leading 23 goals and four in two games. Calle Jarnkrok had a goal and two assists. Andrej Nestrasil had two assists. Mrazek stopped 31 shots in the win. Max Reinhart had two goals for Abbotsford (33-17-6), who have now lost three straight. Sven Baertschi had a goal and an assist, while Roy made 34 saves in the losing effort. Baertschi opened the scoring on the power play when Ben Streets wrist shot from the point was redirected between Mrazeks legs at 6:11. Pulkkinen tied the game at 16:44. After taking a pass at the blue-line, he stepped into a slap shot from the top of the face-off circle to beat Roy far side for his team-leadiing 22nd of the year. Custom New Orleans Saints Jerseys. The 22-year-old Finn gave the Griffins the lead at 3:49. Nick Jensens shot from the top of the circle was deflected by Pulkkinen, cruising through the slot. That was Jensens first professional point. Reinhart tied the game at 16:09, taking a pass from Brett Olson and wiring a wrist shot far side on Mrazek. Jarnkroks power-play goal gave the Griffins the lead heading into the second intermission. Nestrasil found Jarnkrok in the low slot and he beat Roy bar down with just 20 seconds to play. Grand Rapids thought they had doubled the lead eight minutes into the third, but the deflection in front was a high stick and was immediately waved off by referee Trevor Hanson. Reinhart tied the game with just under four minutes to go, redirecting a pass from Baertschi around Mrazeks left pad. Grand Rapids had the best scoring chance in overtime, but Ryan Sproul fired it off the crossbar midway through the extra frame and with 35 seconds to go, Cory Emmerton shot a one-timer from the slot right into Roys crest. ' ' '