MLB

Murphy’s eighth-inning home run from leadoff spot sends Mets past Cubs

CHICAGO — Daniel Murphy’s switch to the leadoff spot on Sunday was supposed to create more opportunities for David Wright. But why pass the baton when you can finish the job?

With the Mets needing a run for the lead in the eighth inning, Murphy came to the rescue with a monstrous home run against Kyuji Fujikawa that led a 4-3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

In one of their best comeback victories of the season, the Mets (17-24) rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the seventh on rookie Juan Lagares’ first major league homer, a two-run blast against Travis Wood. An inning later, Murphy hit his fourth homer of the season, putting the Mets ahead.

The series victory, with two wins in three games, was the Mets’ first since sweeping the Nationals from April 19-21 at Citi Field.

Greg Burke, Scott Rice and Bobby Parnell combined to hold the Cubs scoreless over the final four innings after Dillon Gee struggled.

Lagares brought the Mets alive in the seventh with his two-run blast against Travis Wood that made it 3-3. To that point the Mets had collected only four hits and appeared on the verge of getting dominated by a starting pitcher for the second straight day, after Scott Feldman rolled to a victory on Saturday.

Gee allowed three earned runs on eight hits and one walk over five-plus innings, departing with the Mets in a 3-1 hole. It was a second straight rough outing for the right-hander, who allowed five earned runs over four innings in a loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.

After the Mets had closed within a run in the top of the sixth, Ryan Sweeney blasted a leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning, extending the Cubs’ lead to 3-1.

Wright’s bloop RBI single in the sixth pulled the Mets within 2-1. Wood walked Gee leading off and a wild pitch later in the inning put Wright in position to get his 28th RBI of the season.

Wood’s two-run homer in the fifth broke the scoreless tie. It marked the second straight day the Mets were hurt by the opposing pitcher at the plate. On Saturday, Feldman smacked a two-run double as part of the Cubs’ 8-2 victory.

The Mets received a gift in the fifth, when third-base umpire Manny Gonzalez called out Sweeney trying to extend a double into a triple leading off the inning. Marlon Byrd slipped in the right field corner retrieving the ball, giving Sweeney a chance. Sweeney belly-flopped into third base, but his hand reached the bag before Wright tagged him. Gonzalez ruled the runner out, killing a potential Cubs rally.

mpuma@nypost.com