The Cincinnati Reds lost in the finale but became just the fourth team to beat the New York Mets in a series at Citi Field this year.
NEW YORK – It took Juan Soto selling out on contact in the eighth inning to score on a grounder to the drawn-in Cincinnati Reds infield for the New York Mets to finally wrestle a win from the Reds in the first series out of the All-Star break.
Let the playoff chase begin.
The Mets won the series finale 3-2 on Sunday at Citi Field, but not before the Reds won the first two games to win the series against the team with the National League's best home record.
It was just the fourth home series loss for the Mets this season, first in more than a month.
The Reds tied it in the top of the eighth with a two-out rally off Mets closer Edwin Diaz, the $102-million brother of former Reds closer Alexis Diaz.
Diaz entered with Matt McLain at first, then walked Elly De La Cruz, gave up an infield single to Austin Hays to load the bases and hit Spencer Steer with a pitch to force in a run, before striking out Tyler Stephenson.
For six innings the game was a pitcher's duel between All-Star left-handers Andrew Abbott of the Reds and David Peterson of the Mets.
Peterson allowed only an unearned run, on De La Cruz's two-out single in a first inning that opened with an error on Mets second baseman Luisangel Acuna.
Abbott gave up the tying run on a leadoff excuse-me tapper up the third-base line, sacrifice bunt and ground-ball single to right in the third. Acuna drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth on a one-hop double to the wall in left.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds rally to tie, lose late as New York Mets avoid sweep
Category: Baseball
