Mets Fall 3-2 To Reds as Elimination Draws Closer

The New York Mets lost a close one to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, 3-2, dropping them four games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the second NL Wild Card spot heading into Saturday night’s games (box score).

Zack Wheeler went seven strong innings (109 pitches; 75 strikes), allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits, striking out six with two walks and a hit batsman. The right-hander lowered his season ERA to 3.99 — the first time his ERA has dipped below 4.00 this season.

The Mets got to Cincinnati right-hander Anthony DeSclafani for two runs on three hits over six innings, but that was all they got. Todd Frazier went 2-for-3 and Amed Rosario added a double in a tough, postseason odds-weakening loss.

Pitching

Wheeler let two runs cross in the first, allowing three base hits (Phillip Ervin, Aristedes Aquino, Jose Iglesias) and a walk — including two misplays (one error) by Todd Frazier at third — to put the Mets in an early hole. After loading the bases with none out, it could have been worse.

The Mets’ free-agent-to-be worked around one-out base hits from Ervin and Tucker Barnhart in the second and third innings, respectively, to keep the Mets in the game, then set down Cincinnati in order in the fourth — his first perfect frame of the afternoon.

With the Mets having tied the game at two in the top half of the inning, Votto sliced a double into the left-field corner to start the fifth and Suarez added a single up the middle to put Reds at the corners with none out.

Wheeler struck out Aquino, induced a shallow fly ball via Barnhart, and Iglesias grounded out to Robinson Cano, positioned perfectly off the bag at second, to escape the jam. Huge.

After a perfect, extremely economic sixth (six pitches), Wheeler got the ball in the seventh with 96 pitches under his belt. The 29-year-old worked around a two-out Suarez hit-by-pitch to hold the Reds scoreless again, finishing his outing on a high note.

Left-hander Justin Wilson walked Iglesias with one out in the eighth and Jose Peraza singled in the next at-bat, bringing Seth Lugo into the game to put out the fire.

The 29-year-old right-hander struck out Curt Casali for his 100th strikeout of the season (75.2 innings at that point) but allowed a two-out RBI single to Christian Colon to put Cincinnati ahead, 3-2. Frazier made a terrific, lunging strike home after Lagares’ throw went awry to nab Peraza at the plate and end the frame.

Offense

Todd Frazier notched the Mets’ first hit with a leadoff single in the third. Amed Rosario followed with a line drive off the wall in right-center, overran second base with Frazier sitting stationary at third, but scampered back without a throw from the Reds’ backstop, Barnhart.

With two men in scoring position and none out, Zack Wheeler‘s RBI groundout cut Cincy’s lead to 2-1 but Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani struck out Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil to leave Rosario stranded on third.

Michael Conforto drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and Frazier followed with a single into left field in the next at-bat, providing the Mets with another two-on-with-none-out situation.

Rosario’s long sacrifice fly moved Conforto to third and Wheeler’s attempted safety squeeze induced a throwing error by Votto, leaving the bases loaded for Nimmo. He was hit by DeSclafani’s first pitch to tie the game at two, but McNeil and Pete Alonso struck out, leaving three baserunners on and wasting a huge opportunity.

DeSclafani and right-hander Lucas Sims (who replaced the Reds’ starter after just 85 pitches) held the Mets in check through the sixth and seventh, and Amir Garrett and Joel Kuhnel combined to set down the Metsies in order in the eighth.

The Mets were retired in succession in the ninth (three strikeouts via right-hander Raisel Iglesias) to close out a detrimental loss.

On Deck

Marcus Stroman (9-13, 3.21 ERA) will take the hill for the Mets in the series finale versus Trevor Bauer (11-12, 4.41 ERA) and the Reds at Great American Ballpark on Sunday at 1:10 PM.

The game will be televised on WPIX and broadcast on WCBS 880 AM.