"Tonight's on me. I needed to go out there and put up 0s, and just wasn't able to do it." - New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom discusses outing following loss to Chicago Cubs 

The New York Mets faced off against the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a three-game series at Citi Field. The Cubs won the first game of the series and continued their stellar play with a 4-1 victory against Jacob deGrom.

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom did not have his best stuff tonight, going six innings and allowing three earned runs with 10 strikeouts.

For most starters, this is a solid outing, but not according to deGrom. He spoke about his performance and blamed tonight's loss on himself.

"Tonight's on me. I needed to go out there and put up 0s, and just wasn't able to do it." - Jacob deGrom via SNY

DeGrom's record falls to 5-2 with a 2.01 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 8 games started.

The New York Mets have now lost three out of their last five games and have just a one-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Manager Buck Showalter discussed the recent struggles and how difficult it is to finish the season strong.

"Finishing off a good season is really challenging. You see the finish line. You're trying to get there. You sometimes get away from the things that got you there." - Buck Showalter via SNY

While two straight losses to the Cubs is concerning, the team is still in a comfortable position to make the playoffs, which is something the Mets have failed to do since 2016.

The Mets will look to avoid a series sweep tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM EDT. Drew Smyly gets the start for the Cubs. He enters play with a record of 6-8 with a 3.57 ERA. The Mets pitcher for tomorrow is yet to be determined.

New York Mets: What's on Tap?

Eduardo Escobar throws a ball to first base during tonight's Chicago Cubs v New York Mets game.

Following the series against the Chicago Cubs, the Mets will host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field for a four-game weekend series. These are crucial games for the Mets to win in order to maintain their slim lead in the NL East standings.

The Atlanta Braves will face off against the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend, which should be the perfect opportunity for the Mets to separate themselves from the division.

For more news and updates, go to the Sportskeeda Baseball page.