DEEP ENOUGH… CHOO WINS IT FOR REDS…
Aaron Harang went six strong and Duda had a day, but it was not enough as the Reds edged the Amazin’s 3-2.
The Reds struck first when (future Met?????) Shin-Soo Choo hit a grounder right back up the middle to bring around Todd Frazier. Harang then issued consecutive walks, plating Ryan Hanigan and giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.
The Mets hit right back in the third when Lucas Duda plated Harang on a sac fly. Duda made himself known again in the sixth, when he smacked his fifteenth homer of the year over the right field fence.
Harang settled in after the second, allowing just one more hit through the next four frames. He was pulled after the sixth with a great line: 6 IP, 5H, 2ER, 6BB, 1K. He battled with his command, but pushed through and actually had a really solid day.
Gonzalez Germen relieved Harang and pitched two/thirds of the seventh, and Pedro Feliciano capped off the scoreless frame.
The Mets threatened in the eighth after getting the two leadoff men on, but to no avail. After David Wright K’d looking, Lucas Duda grounded into a double play and in the blink of an eye the threat was ended.
Then it was the Reds’ turn. After a two-out single by Hanigan, stolen-base machine Billy Hamilton worked his magic and was in scoring position just like that (how do you screw up a pitchout?). However, Frank Francisco got his strikeout and it was on to the ninth.
After Aroldis Chapman made quick work of the Amazins in the top, Tim Byrdak was on to shut down the Reds in the ninth. He didn’t last long. Shin-Soo Choo smacked a double to the gap, and Byrdak was done. Aardsma was on to relieve him, but on his first pitch Choo swiped third on after Travis d’Arnaud‘s questionable throw to second base.
After the bases quickly loaded up, Aardsma really bore down and the game was off to extra innings.
The Mets offered another quiet top half, and Greg Burke was on for the bottom of the tenth. After he allowed a few seeing-eye hits, his night was done as he left runners on the corners for Sean Henn.
Henn only lasted two pitches; Choo blasted a ball to left-center and the game was over. It was the Mets’ 72nd loss of the year.
The series continues tomorrow at 7:10, when Jon Niese faces off against Mike Leake.
