CINCINNATI (AP) — Edwin Díaz pitched out of trouble in the ninth inning to earn his first major league save since October 2022, and the New York Mets held off the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Friday night.
Jeff McNeil hit his first home run of the season and Jose Quintana provided a solid start as the Mets won their second straight one-run game after opening 0-5.
New York avoided its first 0-6 start since 1963 by scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth to beat Detroit 2-1 in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader. The Mets were hitless through seven innings in that game.
The offense sputtered again on Friday.
New York had the bases loaded with one out in both the fifth and seventh. But all the Mets could muster was two runs, one on a sacrifice fly and another on an error by shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
The Reds squandered a bases-loaded chance in the seventh when Brooks Raley threw a called third strike past De La Cruz to end the threat.
McNeil launched a solo homer off Emilio Pagan to make it 3-1 in the eighth. It was McNeil’s first homer since Sept. 18, 2023 at Miami. He only homered 10 times last season in 157 games.
Reds starter Hunter Greene allowed one run and three hits in six innings, retiring 10 straight in one stretch.
Quintana (1-1) allowed a run and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, including Spencer Steer’s solo homer in the first. He walked four.
Brett Baty’s diving stab of Steer’s line drive prevented the Reds from scoring the go-ahead run in the fifth.
Edwin Diaz ran into trouble in the ninth. Jonathan India reached on Diaz’s error. Steer walked.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand grounded to Lindor who did not touch the bag in time to force India at second. The Mets challenged but the ruling stood. India scored on a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-2.
Diaz struck out Jake Fraley to wrap up his first save.
TRAINERS ROOM
Mets: OF Brandon Nimmo (right hamstring tightness) sat out but is expected to return to the lineup Saturday.
Reds: RHP Ian Gibaut (right forearm strain) began a rehab assignment at Class A Dayton.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Nick Martinez (0-0, 5.40 ERA) starts for the Reds on Saturday. He’ll be opposed by RHP Luis Severino (0-1, 5.40).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
