Mets vs Reds Recap: Mets Dominate 9-1 on June 17

The Mets came to Cincinnati looking to bounce back. The night before, they lost 3-5 to the Reds in a tough battle. Tonight, things would be different. The Reds' pitcher Nick Lodolo took the mound at Great American Ball Park. The Mets' lineup was locked and loaded. Juan Soto stepped up with runners on base and two outs in the third inning. He smacked a single to center field, and Luis Torrens raced home with the go-ahead run. The Mets were rolling now. Marcus Semien followed with another hit to left, scoring Bo Bichette. Mark Vientos kept the line moving with a single that brought Soto across the plate. Just like that, the Mets had 3 runs in the third and were taking command of the game.

The Reds scratched out one run in the bottom of the third when JJ Bleday hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Jose Trevino. But that would be their only highlight. In the fifth inning, the Mets' offense came alive again. Mark Vientos hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing home another run. Francisco Alvarez then singled to left, and Soto scored to make it 5-1. A.J. Ewing smoked a double to center, and two more Mets runners crossed the plate. The Mets had poured on 4 more runs without hitting a homer. Their patience and smart baserunning were doing the damage. Nick Lodolo was getting hit hard, and Cincinnati's defense couldn't slow down the Mets' attack.

The Reds brought in Chris Paddack to pitch in the eighth inning, but the Mets kept swinging. Bo Bichette singled to right field, and Carson Benge raced home. Juan Soto followed with a double to center, and Bichette scored right behind him. The Mets led 9-1, and the game was over. Nolan McLean pitched brilliantly for New York, allowing just three hits through seven innings while striking out nine batters. The Mets improved to 33-41 on the season with this dominant performance. The Reds fell to 35-38. This win showed what the Mets could do when their whole lineup got going at once. Their pitching was sharp, their hitting was aggressive, and Cincinnati had no answers all night long.