Tuesday's game at Great American Ball Park saw a dramatic turn of events, with Sal Stewart hitting a crucial three-run home run and adding an RBI single to help the Reds secure a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets.
Cincinnati Reds secured consecutive victories for the first time since May 25-26 over the New York Mets, ending a slump of 6-12.
Related ↗Garrick Higgo's absence from the U.S. Open explained by a surprising reason.The New York Mets' struggles continued as Bo Bichette delivered another impressive performance, notching two hits on Tuesday after a three-hit outing on Monday.
The Reds delivered a strong lead to their starter for the second straight evening, courtesy of several key home runs.
Read next ↗Sri Lanka series sees return of Joseph and Da Silva to the West Indies team.Kodai Senga, who had been sidelined with a lumbar spine issue, made his return from the injured list, marking his first outing since April 26. His comeback start was marred by early struggles in command, as he issued free passes to Blake Dunn and JJ Bleday to begin the contest.
Cincinnati's home run advantage was restored by Stewart, who hit a 410-foot shot off Senga's sinker, estimated to have struck the upper deck facade, securing his 14th home run and a 3-0 lead for the team. Currently, Stewart is ahead of Bleday with 14 home runs, one more than his teammate. Steer seized an opportunity two outs later, sending a 95-mph fastball from Senga soaring into the first row of seats in left-center field, marking his 11th homer and expanding the lead to 4-0 after just one inning.
Singer's outing was marked by a strong performance, as he yielded only one run on three hits over five frames, fanning five batters while issuing three free passes. The right-hander's workload increased in the fourth and fifth innings, ultimately resulting in 91 pitches being thrown. Tony Santillan closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning, securing his fourth save in eight opportunities.
A late surge by the Mets was sparked by Bichette's crucial RBI single in the third inning, followed by Mark Vientos' towering pinch-hit two-run homer in the sixth that sailed halfway up the upper deck. This powerful shot off Sam Moll's changeup traveled an estimated 421 feet, narrowing Cincinnati's lead to a mere 5-3 margin.
In the eighth inning, the Mets' momentum stalled as Tejay Antone issued back-to-back walks to the initial two batters, only to strike out Vientos on a well-placed slider and Alvarez on a swift sweeper, culminating in Benge's ground out to second base.
Home plate umpire Carlos Torres swiftly removed Mets manager Carlos Mendoza from the game in the seventh inning suddenly.
