Mets Hang On To Beat Reds 5-4 After Edwin Diaz Escapes From Based Loaded Jam

 

Mets RF Juan Soto (Photo Credits to SNY.TV)

The New York Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 tonight at Great American Ball Park and improved their record to 76-65.

The Met offense got off to a fast start in the top of the first after SS Francisco Lindor led off with a walk and RF Juan Soto followed with a single. 1B Pete Alonso followed with a strikeout, and then 3B Mark Vientos reached first on an infield hit which scored Lindor.

LF Brandon Nimmo followed and was robbed of a three-run homer by CF T.J. Friedl, but still drove in Soto with a sacrifice fly and Vientos made a heads up baserunning play and advanced to second.

DH Starling Marte followed with a RBI single to score Vientos.

In the top of the third, Vientos led off with a solo homer.

In the top of the fourth, Lindor doubled with two outs and then Soto followed with a RBI double.

LHP David Peterson cruised through the first two innings, but then ran into trouble in the bottom of the  third.

Peterson gave up a one-out single to 2B Matt McClain and a double to the following hitter Friedl and then a sacrifice fly to RF Noelvi Marte.

Peterson's outing began to unravel in the bottom of the fourth after he gave three consecutive hits (two singles and a double) and a two-run double to catcher Tyler Stephenson and a sacrifice fly by 3B KeBryan Hayes.

Peterson was able to respond with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth and then ran into more trouble in the bottom of the sixth.

Peterson gave up a lead-off single to DH Miguel Andujar and then struck out LF Austin Hays and walked 1B Spencer Steer and was then taken out.

RHP Ryne Stanek followed and struck out Stephenson and walked Hayes to load the bases with two outs, but came back to strike out McLain to end the inning.

Peterson's final line was 5.1 innings, seven hits, four runs, one walk and four strikeouts. He picked up his ninth win.

LHP Brooks Raley came in next and threw a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

RHP Tyler Rogers threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

RHP Edwin Diaz came on in the bottom of the ninth and gave up a lead-off single to Hayes and then walked McLain and Friedl to load the bases with no outs.

Diaz came back to strike out Marte and after a cleat malfunction, struck out SS Ella De La Cruz for the second out of the ninth. He then retired DH Gavin Lux on a ground-out to second base after 2B Luisangel Acuna made a fine play to throw out Lux and Diaz covered the bag to pick up his 26th save of the season.

The Mets next game is tomorrow night, Saturday, September 6 at the Reds at 6:40 p.m.