Mets Lose To Reds 6-3 After Jonah Tong Allows Three Homers

 

Mets RHP Jonah Tong (Photo Credits to Frank Bowen IV-USA Today Network)

The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 tonight at Great American Ball Park and dropped their record to 76-66.

RHP Jonah Tong made his second career start and started well with a 1-2-3 bottom of the first on six pitches. After retiring the first two hitters in the bottom of the second, Tong walked 1B Spencer Steel and then gave up a two-run homer to the following hitter rookie 3B Sal Stewart.

Tong gave up a lead-off homer to 2B Matt McClain in the bottom of the third and another lead-off homer to LF Austin Hays in the bottom of the fourth.

Tong was able to recover and settle down after that no allowing any more hits but also gave up two more walks and finished up with scoreless innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth.

His final line was six innings, three hits, four runs, four walks and six strikeouts.

RHP Ryne Stanek came on in the bottom of the seventh and had a rough outing allowing two runs on three hits and recorded only one out.

RHP Kevin Herget had to come in to get the last two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Herget stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and had a 1-2-3 inning.

In the top of the first, SS Francisco Lindor led off with a single, but was thrown out at second on a caught stealing.

After a scoreless top of the second, CF Cedric Mullins walked with one out and then stole second and Lindor followed with a walk.

RF Juan Soto then reached on an infield hit to load the bases and LF Brandon Nimmo followed with a sacrifice fly to score Mullins. 1B Pete Alonso was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but 2B Jeff McNeil grounded out to second to end the inning.

After a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, Lindor made another costly baserunner blunder in the top of the fifth after he doubled with one out and then made a poor decision to try to steal third base with Soto up and was thrown out.

In the top of the sixth, Alonso doubled with one out, but then McNeil grounded out, DH Mark Vientos walked and then 3B Brett Baty struck out to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, pinch-hitter Jared Young led off with a homer and three batters later, Soto walked and stole second, but Nimmo struck out to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth, McNeil singled with one out and two batters later, Baty doubled, but catcher Francisco Alvarez struck out to end the threat.

In the top of the ninth, Lindor doubled with one out and Soto followed with a RBI single. Lindor then scored on a wild pitch, but Nimmo and Alonso struck out.

The Met offense struggled all game with men on base going 2-9 with runners in scoring position leaving nine runners on base.

The Mets next game is tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, September 7 at the Reds at 1:40 p.m.