Severino throws 6 shutout innings and Mets top Cubs 5-2 after Díaz ejected before throwing a pitch

Luis Severino tossed six shutout innings, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo hit back-to-back homers and the New York Mets topped the Chicago Cubs 5-2 on Sunday night after closer Edwin Díaz was ejected in the ninth before throwing a pitch.

Díaz came on to try to seal the victory, but was tossed for having a foreign substance after umpires inspected his right hand and glove. Per Major League Baseball’s rules, a player faces a 10-game suspension if they are found to have used illegal foreign substances.

Díaz said he does “the same thing always” before he pitches: a mix of rosin and sweat on his hand, which he also rubs in the dirt.

“That's what I was explaining to them, but they said it was too much stick,” he said, later adding he was “really surprised” by the ejection.

“They thought he crossed the line there,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Obviously, the rules are the rules and they made the decision to throw him out.”

Drew Smith got two outs in place of Díaz before Jake Diekman struck out pinch-hitter Patrick Wisdom for his third save for the Mets, who have won four straight series.

Severino (5-2) struck out a season-high 10 and allowed three hits for New York, which has won 10 of 13 and improved to 13-6 in June. Mark Vientos added a solo homer for the Mets.

Christopher Morel homered for Chicago, which has dropped 10 of its last 16.

Javier Assad (4-3), who has gone seven starts without a win, gave up seven hits and walked one in 4 1/3 innings.

New York’s victory came hours after the Cubs unveiled a statue of Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandburg outside Wrigley Field.

The Mets made Assad throw a lot of pitches early as four of their first eight batters went to full counts. They finally broke through in the third, when Lindor followed Harrison Bader's double with his 13th home run into the left field bleachers.

Nimmo drove his 11th to almost the same place four pitches later.

J.D. Martinez added an RBI in the fifth and Vientos homered off Tyson Miller in the eighth.

Severino gave way to Dedniel Núñez, who surrendered a two-run homer to Morel in the seventh.

Cubs pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. was placed on the 15-day injured list before the game with a strained forearm. Pitcher Luke Little was recalled from Triple-A Iowa.