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NEW YORK, N.Y. - Wilmer Flores sure looked like a major league shortstop Saturday night, in every way possible. Given an opportunity to play regularly of late, Flores finally provided a spark with his bat and glove in leading Jonathon Niese and the New York Mets to a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Juan Lagares drove in two runs and reliever Vic Black escaped a major jam unscathed to keep New York in control after Niese exited. Star third baseman David Wright also was removed in the seventh, one inning after he was hit in the upper back by an 88 mph fastball from Dan Straily. The Mets, outhit 7-4, said Wright had a sore left shoulder. "Just got me in a spot thats bothersome," said Wright, who missed time this summer with an injury to the same shoulder. "They thought it would be best to give it a little bit of a rest. More than anything, just unlucky with the spot that it got me." New York manager Terry Collins said Wright was pretty sore and probably will get at least one day off. The 23-year-old Flores, a touted hitting prospect trying to show he can play adequate defence at shortstop, followed Lagares RBI double with a two-run single in the second. Flores also made a diving stop and another difficult play in the hole to prevent base hits. He turned a pair of double plays, including one that got Niese (7-8) out of a bases-loaded jam after Chicagos first two batters reached on errors. "I told him hes having tomorrow off. I guess he said, Im going to leave it on the field tonight," Collins said. "I asked him today how comfortable he was getting at shortstop and he said, Look, I feel good any place you put me. So I thought it was a pretty good statement." Welington Castillo and Justin Ruggiano homered for the last-place Cubs, who have lost three straight. Niese took a 7-1 lead into the seventh before giving up five straight hits, including Ruggianos leadoff homer. The last one was a line-drive RBI single by pinch-hitter Ryan Sweeney that struck the left-hander on his pitching arm. "Just hit my forearm. Got the meat, missed the bone," Niese said. "Its good." Niese departed with the bases loaded and New York ahead 7-3. Black, who has excelled at stranding runners, retired the top three batters in Chicagos lineup to stop the rally. "Hes been unbelievable. The job hes done to come in with guys on base is truly amazing. I mean, he has not flinched," Collins said. "His command is, I mean, its 10 times better when theres guys on." Niese had an RBI groundout in a four-run sixth, when the only Mets hit was a single by Travis dArnaud. Niese has won consecutive starts after dropping four in a row immediately following his return from the disabled list July 21. Called up from Triple-A Iowa to make a spot start, Straily (0-1) retired 12 straight before suddenly losing his command in the sixth. He was charged with seven runs — five earned — and four hits over 5 1-3 innings in his Cubs debut. "I think it went pretty well until I hit Wright and then it kind of unraveled for me," Straily said. "Its something that just cant happen." After the game, Chicago sent Straily back down and recalled outfielder Matt Szczur from its top farm club. TRAINERS ROOM Mets: Rookie RHP Jacob deGrom (rotator cuff tendinitis) threw on flat ground and said he felt no pain. There is a good chance hell throw a bullpen Sunday, Collins said. ... RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (elbow inflammation) allowed one run and three hits over six innings in a rehab start for Double-A Binghamton. ... Collins said the Mets are concerned about all the punishment C Travis dArnaud is taking behind the plate on foul balls and backswings, especially since dArnaud has already had three concussions in his career. UP NEXT Mets rookie Rafael Montero (0-3, 6.12 ERA) tries again for his first major league win Sunday when he faces RHP Jake Arrieta (6-4, 2.77) and the Cubs. Montero has served up eight homers in 25 innings, the most in club history through five big league outings. He gave up four home runs in 75 innings at Triple-A Las Vegas this year. MAKING THEM COUNT New York has won consecutive games with four hits or fewer for the fourth time in team history, and first since 1989. STREAK STOPPED Chicago SS Starlin Castro went 0 for 4, ending his 14-game hitting streak. The last Cubs player to reach 15 was Aramis Ramirez, who had a 16-game run in August 2011. SWING AND A MISS The Cubs struck out 10 times to give them 40 Ks in the past three games and 101 in the last nine, six of them losses. Curt Schilling Jersey .C., has been named Canadas top female official, winning the 2014 SOC Award of Excellence. Cranes career as a figure skating judge has spanned over 40 years. Zack Greinke Jersey . About seven hours before facing Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round series, team officials said the oft-injured Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would not even be with the team for the rest of the post-season. http://www.diamondbackssale.com/.com) - Rick Nash scored twice and Derek Stepan chipped in a goal with one assist as the New York Rangers claimed a 5-2 decision over Calgary at the Saddledome. Luis Gonzalez Jersey . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Randy Johnson Jersey . -- Phil Mickelson came to the St.After two exhibition games in which the Winnipeg Goldeyes struggled to cash in base runners, Winnipegs bats had no issues harvesting runs Saturday afternoon in Nebraska. Led by home runs from Jake Blackwood and Ray Sadler, the Goldeyes defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs 7-6 Saturday at Haymarket Park. The win moves Winnipegs exhibition record to 3-1 after losing to Lincoln Friday night. The second batter of the game, Blackwood cracked a solo home run to left field to give Winnipeg their first lead of the two-game weekend series at 1-0. After Lincoln fought back with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Goldeyes retook the lead in the top of the second inning. With two out, Ryan Pineda and Luis Alen singled. Designated hitter Amos Ramon doubled to score Pineda and Webb followed with a double of his own to plate Alen and Ramon, giving the Goldeyes a 4-2 lead. "They didnt give up on the inning," Goldeyes pitching coach Jamie Vermilyea said on the Jewel 101 post-game show. "A two-out rally hurts the other team, too. You get two quick outs, but youre able to still put three runs on the board. Thats good to see out of your hitters." Winnipeg extended the lead in the top of the fifth inning when Ray Sadler hit a two-out, two-run homme run, putting the Goldeyes up 6-2.dddddddddddd Lincoln replied with a run in the fourth inning off Winnipeg starting pitcher Chris Salamida and then tied game 6-6 when they victimized Kyle Anderson for three runs with two out in the sixth inning. The Goldeyes scratched around the game-winning run an inning later when Alen led off the seventh inning with a single and eventually scored on a Blackwood sac fly. After Anderson, Brendan Lafferty, Chris Kissock and Kyle Bellamy allowed a combined two hits in the last three innings. "Thats exactly what we are looking for out of them," Vermilyea said. "If we get our starters to go six or seven innings, we have the guys in the back end of the bullpen that can shut the door." Anderson earned the win for Winnipeg to improve to 1-0 in exhibition play, while Bellamy earned his first save. The five pitchers took the ball for Winnipeg in the game combined for 10 strikeouts. Ramon led Winnipeg with a three-for-four afternoon at the plate. He also scored two runs and drove in a run. Blackwood, Sadler and Webb all had two RBI. The Goldeyes will finish their exhibition schedule with a pair of games against the Kansas City T-Bones on Monday and Tuesday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. ' ' '