CHICAGO (AP) — Moisés Ballesteros, Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ homered, and the Chicago Cubs handed the Mets their ninth straight loss, pounding New York 12-4 on Friday.
The Mets' skid is their worst since the 2004 team dropped 11 straight. They’ve been outscored 56-16 during the streak.
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Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson (7) and Seiya Suzuki (27) celebrate their team's win over the New York Mets in a baseball game Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stands stands in the dugout during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner (2) runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Mets starter Kodai Senga leaves the mound after a pitching change during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago scored in double digits for the third straight game and major league-leading fourth time this season.
Ballesteros made it 4-0 in the first with a three-run homer.
Hoerner had three hits and drove in two runs after setting a career high with five RBIs in Wednesday’s 11-2 win at Philadelphia. His two-run shot in the second against Kodai Senga (0-3) made it 6-3. The two-time Gold Glove second baseman also made a diving stop to rob Bo Bichette of a hit in the fifth.
Happ added a two-run drive in the eighth.
Edward Cabrera (2-0) went six innings, allowing three runs and eight hits, as the Cubs rolled to their third straight win.
Senga got tagged for seven runs in his second straight start.
The Japanese right-hander gave up six earned to go with six hits in 3 1/3 innings after lasting just 2 1/3 in a loss to the Athletics last week. His ERA through four starts is 8.83.
After outscoring Philadelphia by a combined 21-6 in their previous two games, the Cubs jumped on Senga.
Seiya Suzuki singled in a run in the first and Ballesteros made it 4-0 when he drove the next pitch to the left-field basket.
The Mets cut it to 4-3 in the second on an RBI double by Marcus Semien and two-run single by Tyrone Taylor off the center-field wall. Taylor got thrown out at second by Pete Crow-Armstrong.
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Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson (7) and Seiya Suzuki (27) celebrate their team's win over the New York Mets in a baseball game Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stands stands in the dugout during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner (2) runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Mets starter Kodai Senga leaves the mound after a pitching change during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sky-high ticket prices won’t be the only thing emptying the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at some U.S. venues this spring.
Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to shell out $150 for a round-trip train fare for each match, transportation officials confirmed Friday.
That’s nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile (14-kilometer) ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On-site parking won’t be available for most fans, so New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match.
The home stadium for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.
New Jersey officials said the upcharge was necessary to cover the cost of hosting the World Cup on its return to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.
NJ Transit officials said they planned to spend $62 million transporting fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament. Outside grants had defrayed only $14 million of those anticipated expenses. A fare increase was needed to cover the rest, according to NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.
“This isn’t price gouging,” he told reporters Friday. “We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, called on FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, to cover the transportation costs.
“If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” she said in a statement.
But FIFA has bristled at the suggestion that it should shoulder New Jersey's transit costs. On Friday, it pointed to other U.S. host cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, that are keeping their transit rates unchanged.
One notable exception is Boston, where express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, will cost $95, officials announced this week.
Thousands of fans have also already snapped up $80 round-trip train tickets from the Massachusetts capital to the commuter rail station near the stadium, which is located in Foxborough, a town some 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Boston. That’s four times the $20 riders are normally charged for a round-trip ticket during game days and other special events at Gillette.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, one-way fares will remain $1.75; in Atlanta, they’re locked at $2.50; in Houston, a single ride will still cost $1.25 and in Philadelphia the base fare for the subway will remain $2.90. Kansas City is running shuttles from locations around the city to Arrowhead Stadium that cost just $15 roundtrip.
Some of those cities have noted that the U.S. government has provided some $100 million in transit grants to provide enhanced bus and rail service during the games.
The soccer federation on Friday warned that New Jersey's transit pricing could have a “chilling effect."
It argued that no other global event has been asked to absorb the costs of “arbitrarily set” transit prices and noted that the agreements signed with World Cup host cities back in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches.
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options,” FIFA said in a statement. “This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”
The huge fare increase has also drawn protest from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me,” the Democrat posted on X earlier this week. The surge pricing was first reported by sports outlet The Athletic.
Alternatives to taking the train to MetLife Stadium will also be pricey.
Shuttle buses with a capacity for about 10,000 riders will set off from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations for $80 roundtrip.
Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are also being sold in advance, currently priced at $225.
MetLife Stadium has a huge parking lot, but for World Cup matches much of that space is being used for a fan village, shuttle buses, a staging area and FIFA staff, officials said.
When the stadium hosted the NFL's Super Bowl under similar conditions in 2014, New Jersey Transit struggled to accommodate an estimated 33,000 passengers leaving the game. Platforms at a train transfer station became jammed with passengers unable to get space on trains. Some waited for hours to get on board.
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Associated Press reporter Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida, contributed to this story.
Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
FILE - An NJ Transit train leaves the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - PSG fans cheer before the start of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and PSG in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
FILE - Fans play with a ball outside the Metlife Stadium prior to the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and PSG in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
