Mets Homestand Ends with 7-1 Loss to Cincinnati

The Mets finished their series and 11-game homestand with a 7-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. New York completed its longest consecutive stretch of games at Citi Field this season a meager 5-6.

Thirteen days ago in Cincinnati, the Mets tagged Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez for six runs in four innings. Sunday, the rookie right-hander no-hit the Mets through 4.2 innings.

Maybe the black widow tattooed on Guttierez’s neck came to life because he spun seven strong innings against New York.

Marcus Stroman started for the Mets. He now owns a 7-10 record despite a 2.80 ERA this season. Opposite Guttierez, Stroman threw eight shutout innings in Cincinnati on July 21 but lasted 5.2 innings allowing four runs Sunday.

Neither side generated anything offensively through the first three innings. Max Schrock, replacing the red hot Joey Votto at first base, opened the scoring with a solo home run in the fourth.

Schrock finished 5-5 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. As a team, New York had three hits.

The Mets’ first baserunner came in the fifth. Kevin Pillar singled to left with two outs.

Cincinnati’s bats awoke in the sixth. Jesse Winker doubled, Kyle Farmer tripled, and Tyler Stephenson hit a sac fly to put the Reds up 3-0. Schrock singled and Eugenio Suarez flew out for the second out of the inning. Stroman then walked Tyler Naquin before being pulled for Miguel Castro.

Castro was erratic. He walked his first batter Aristides Aquino to load the bases and followed it with four straight balls to the pitcher Gutierrez. The Red were leading 4-0.

New York gained their first run in the bottom of the inning. Jeff McNeil launched his sixth home run of the season to center field.

Brandon Nimmo made a pinch-hit appearance in the sixth. Nimmo was out of the lineup yesterday and today because of a “pinch” in his hamstring suffered on Friday. Nimmo popped out.

Yennsy Diaz managed to pitch a scoreless seventh for the Mets despite reaching three-ball counts against every hitter. Winker walked and Schrock singled against him.

Drew Smith pitched the eighth. He walked the leadoff hitter Naquin and reached three-ball counts against Aquino and Shogo Akiyama before striking them out.

Gutierrez’s day was done after seven innings and 80 pitches. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four Mets. Mychal Givens replaced him, retiring the side in order.

Geoff Hartlieb, the recall for Luis Guillorme‘s IL designation, pitched the ninth. Like Castro, Diaz, and Smith, Hartlieb failed to find the strike zone. Three batters walked, Schrock singled, and Naquin doubled. Three runners came across to score.

Justin Wilson pitched the ninth for the Reds. The former Met pitched against New York as a member of the Yankees earlier this season. He allowed five runs before recording an out. Sunday, he set Pete Alonso, Dominic Smith, and Javier Baez down in order.

The Mets finish the season series 3-3 against Cincinnati. They head to Miami for a 7:10 p.m. start on Monday.