QUEENS, NY — Noelvi Marte’s ball soared deep to center field, and the sellout crowd of 42,981 at Citi Field groaned. The New York Mets needed this win, and it was coming down to the wire.
The ball stayed in the park, and Queens exhaled. The Mets’ 3–2 lead was preserved with only two more outs needed.
Jake Fraley got on with a single to left, and Gavin Lux barely beat out a double play. The tension persisted.
Finally, Ryne Stanek closed it out by getting TJ Friedl to pop out. The Mets’ three-game losing streak ended with a narrow, one-run victory in the series finale against Cincinnati.
Mets bring home winning run in 8th inning rally
The game was tied in the bottom of the eighth, courtesy of Edwin Diaz hitting Spencer Steer with a pitch in the top half of the inning with the bases loaded.
Juan Soto walked, and Jeff McNeil doubled to the right-center gap, putting runners on second and third with one out for Luis Torrens. Torrens hit a sharp ground ball to Reds’ second baseman Matt McLain and reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Soto.
That was all the Mets (56-44) would manage. Pete Alonso and Tyrone Taylor both struck out in the frame, and Brett Baty popped out. But on Sunday, one run made all the difference.
Mets rely on small ball, pick their spots against Abbott
The Mets’ star-studded lineup, featuring multiple capable power hitters, managed just one extra base hit against Reds All-Star starter Andrew Abbott, granting them their first lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Brett Baty singled to lead off the inning. He stole second base, putting him in scoring position for Luisangel Acuña. Acuña connected with an 88.3-mph cutter on the inside corner of the strike zone, driving it to left field. The ball bounced off the wall behind Reds left fielder Connor Joe. He scored Baty, granting the Mets a 2–1 lead.
Confronted with a three-game slide and having lost 20 of their last 30 games, the Mets faced one of Cincinnati’s top pitchers in Abbott, who entered Sunday with an 8–1 record and a 2.07 ERA — the third-lowest by a Reds pitcher through his first 16 starts of the season. Abbott trails only Johnny Cueto in this metric, who achieved this twice.
Despite allowing six hits, Abbott limited the Mets to just two earned runs.
The Mets played small ball to advance their runners. In the bottom of the second, Jeff McNeil advanced Mark Vientos to second with a sacrifice bunt, although they left him stranded. In the next inning, Acuña did the same to put Tyrone Taylor in scoring position, and Brandon Nimmo capitalized with an RBI single to right, tying the game at one.
Pete Alonso keeps his streak alive
Pete Alonso was held out of the starting lineup Sunday for the first time since May 30, 2024.
Had Alonso not appeared in the game, his franchise record of 353 consecutive games played would have ended.
This became a moot point as Alonso replaced Mark Vientos at first base ahead of the seventh inning, keeping the streak alive.
Alonso subbed into his usual first base position for the top of the seventh.
In a stretch where New York’s power bats have gone quiet, Sunday showcased the Mets’ ability to challenge the opposing club’s pitchers and defense, advancing runners and selecting their moments for crucial hits.
Baseballs don’t always fly out of Citi Field. Through stretches like this, the Mets must continue finding ways to score, as their lineup is too talented for anything less to be acceptable.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: SCCGManagement.com