The New York Mets (18-15) ended their six game losing skid and picked up their first win in the month of May as they defeated the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 7-6. The Mets offense came alive after being shutout three times in the previous four games. Mets hitters scored the seven runs on thirteen hits with nine of them for extra bases.

Pitching

P.J. Conlon made his Major League debut tonight in a spot start for injured started Jacob deGrom. Conlon cruised through his first two innings of work while getting a five-run cushion from the resurrected Mets offense. Conlon surrendered a solo home run to Billy Hamilton in the third inning to make the score 5-1. In the fourth inning, back-to-back doubles Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett cut the Mets lead to 5-2. After advancing to third on a sacrifice fly by Adam Duvall, Gennett scored on a Tucker Barnhart double to make the score 6-3.

Conlon was taken out in the fourth after walking Alex Blandino. Conlon finished the evening with a 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO while throwing 56 pitches with 29 of them for strikes. Conlon also got his first Major League hit with a single in the fourth and would score on a sacrifice fly.

Paul Sewald relieved Conlon with a runner on first and second with two outs in the fourth and got Hamilton to pop up to center field on one pitch ending the inning. Sewald returned to mound in the fifth and retired the side in order with an economical ten pitches. In the fifth Sewald gave up a solo home run to Eugenio Suarez to cut the lead to 7-4. After getting Gennett to ground out, Sewald surrendered back-to-back singles to Adam Duvall and Tucker Barnhart which ended his evening. He finished the game with a 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.

Robert Gsellman relieved Sewald in the sixth inning with one out and a runner on each first and third bases. Scott Schebler flied on to left field which allowed Adam Duvall to score which made it a two run game with a score of 7-5. Gsellman returned for the seventh inning and retired the side in order. After retiring the first batter in the eight, Gennett hit an opposite field home run making it a one-run game, 7-6. He retired Duvall on a broken-bat groundout to third and Barnhart on a groundout to first. Gsellman’s final stat line was 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.

Jeurys Familia pitched a clean ninth inning while striking out two and notching his tenth save of the season.

Batting

Michael Conforto hit his second career leadoff home run off Red’s starter Homer Bailey to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead. His first was on August 5, 2017 against Rich Hill and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Conforto finished the game with a much needed 2-for-5 batting line.

Amed Rosario plated his tenth RBI of year with a sacrifice fly to center field extending the Mets lead to 2-0. Rosario doubled in the fourth and sixth innings giving the young shortstop even doubles for the year; one more than teammate Yoenis Cespedes. Rosario ended the night going 2-for-3 with the one RBI.

Jay Bruce smashed a two-run home run off Bailey in the third inning to give the Mets and spot starter P.J. Conlon a 4-0 lead. Bruce played his whole career with the Reds and looked comfortable hitting in his old stomping grounds as he finished the game going 2-for-3 with one run scored and two walks to go with his home run.

Adrian Gonzalez broke out of his slump as he hit two home runs tonight. His first came at the expense of Homer Bailey in the third inning to right center field with two outs. His second dinger came in the fifth inning off Reds reliever Jackson Stephens. Both home runs were solo shots. Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with three runs scored raising his batting average to .256.

Yoenis Cespedes returned to the lineup after reporting soreness in his right quad the day prior. The sore quad did not affect his batting as he went 2-for-4 including a double and a RBI sac fly in the fourth inning which scored P.J. Conlon. Jose Reyes pinch ran for Cespedes after he doubled in the ninth.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Todd Frazier went a combined 0-for-10 with five strikeouts.

Jose Lobaton went 1-for-4 raising his batting average to .163

On Deck

Jason Vargas (0-2, 16.20 ERA) seeks to find his rhythm as the New York Mets face off in the second game of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds and starter Luis Castillo (1-4, 7.01 ERA). The Mets are looking to win consecutive games for the first time since April 10th and their first series win in the month of May. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 EST.