Cubs vs Mets Preview: Heroic Arms Lead Week 66 Showdown

The Cubs arrive in New York with serious momentum. They just beat the Mets in back-to-back games, winning 10-5 and 10-3 on June 24. That's two straight dominant performances. The Cubs sit at 42-37 overall and have won their last two games. Now they face Freddy Peralta, an All-Star pitcher who just joined the Mets. Peralta is a strikeout machine with 16 strikeouts already this season. Matthew Boyd takes the mound for Chicago after coming back from injury. The Cubs need Boyd to stay sharp and keep this winning streak alive.

Freddy Peralta is your Mets starter. He is a two-time All-Star who just made the list in 2025. Peralta throws with incredible heat and strikes batters out at a high rate. His strikeout numbers this season show his electric stuff. The Mets need him to pitch lights-out against the Cubs' hot lineup. Juan Soto is dealing with back tightness and may not play. That hurts the Mets' lineup power. Without their star, the Mets must lean heavily on Peralta's arm to compete. The Mets have lost four straight games and sit at 34-45.

The Mets are in trouble. They are 34-45 and have dropped four straight games. The Cubs' hitters are on fire right now. In their recent wins, Dansby Swanson ripped two home runs in one game. Salvador Perez hammered another blast. The Mets' pitching has struggled to contain Chicago's offense. Matthew Boyd is returning from shoulder and knee injuries for the Cubs. He will be careful with his workload Thursday. The Mets need their bullpen and starter to shut down the Cubs' bats. This is a must-win game to stop the bleeding and climb back in the race.

Let's talk about the Cubs' hitters. Dansby Swanson is raking hard. He smacked two home runs in one game against the Mets. The ball rocketed off his bat like a rocket each time. Salvador Perez also connected for extra-base hits. Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ are adding runs too. These guys put pressure on Mets pitchers every single at-bat. The Mets' hitters struggled to keep pace. Their defense made errors that cost them runs. The Cubs' lineup looks unstoppable right now, forcing balls into the outfield gaps and over the wall. That is why they just swept their recent games here.