PHOENIX – For the first time in three days, the New York Mets cooperated. And the Cincinnati Reds made them pay.
The Reds’ 6-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of their three-game series at Chase Field averted a sweep and gained a game in the National League wild-card standings on the Mets for the final league playoff position.
“You show up to win, and when you don’t for a couple days (it’s not fun),” manager Terry Francona said. “Plus it’s a travel day so that always make the flight a little bit better.”
The Reds moved to 1 1/2 games behind the Mets, whose loss to the Atlanta Braves went final just as the Reds and DBacks took the field on the afternoon of Aug. 24 in Arizona.
“It’s huge,” Reds starter Brady Singer said of escaping the series with the win. “We’ve been doing that kind of all year, where our backs are against the wall and we make something happen that last game. So it’s huge by the offense and everybody else.”
The Reds, who have 31 games to play, next travel to Los Angeles for a three-game set against the defending World Series-champion Dodgers; the Mets have the NL East-leading Phillies at home next.
After a pair of disappointing losses in the desert to open the DBacks series, the Reds needed a big eighth inning to take the lead and get out of town with a win, snapping a three-game losing streak.
They’re the only team in the majors this year that hasn’t been swept in a series. The 43 straight series, dating to last year, already is the fourth-longest streak in franchise history. If they don’t get swept in L.A. they’ll tie the 1969-70 Reds for third on the list.
The Reds sent 10 men to the plate in the eighth, scoring five runs. Spencer Steer had the big blow, a three-run homer to left two batters after Austin Hays drove home the go-ahead run with a single to center.
Steer doubled leading off the seventh but was stranded when TJ Friedl grounded into an inning-ending, bases-loaded double play.
Noelvi Marte, who scored ahead of Hays’ single after leading off the eighth with a single, tied the score in the sixth with a Little League home run: He tripled to center, then scored when the relay throw skipped past third for an error.
Singer allowed only one hit in six impressive innings – a triple into the right-field corner leading off the first inning. It led to the only run he gave up, on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. sacrifice fly.
Singer, who struck out nine and walked three, has allowed just two runs over 18 innings in his last three starts (1.00 ERA) – seven in his last five (1.80).
“He gave up one early and then buckled down,” Francona said. “Instead of being frustrated, kept them right where (they were). And then Marte with a big hit, better base running. And then Spencer, who I thought deserved (the HR). He had come so close. Hit a couple off the end of the bat, hit a couple that were 411 instead of 413. That spread it out, and really helped.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds avoid sweep in desert, pick up game on Mets in wild-card race
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
