The game belonged to Nolan McLean almost from the start. The right-hander held Cincinnati to three hits and one unearned run over seven innings, striking out nine on 101 pitches while the Mets offense did the rest. New York scored in three separate innings and never trailed, handing the Reds a lopsided defeat before 27,207 fans.
McLean allowed just 1 run — none earned — with one walk and nine strikeouts across his seven-inning effort. He picks up his fourth win of the season, now 4-4 with a 3.67 ERA. Juan Soto went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and scored twice to pace the lineup, while Bo Bichette reached base four times, going 3-for-4 with a walk and scoring three runs. Francisco Alvarez added three hits in five at-bats, driving in one run.
New York broke through in the third inning, scoring three runs. Luis Torrens came around to score on a single by Soto, then Bichette scored on a single by Marcus Semien, and Soto crossed the plate on a single by Mark Vientos. Cincinnati answered in the bottom half when Jose Trevino scored on a sacrifice fly by JJ Bleday, cutting the deficit to 3-1. The Mets extended their lead to seven in the fifth, plating four more runs. Bichette scored on a sacrifice fly by Vientos, Soto scored on a single by Alvarez, and A.J. Ewing's double brought home both Alvarez and Semien. Ewing finished 1-for-4 with 2 RBI. New York added two more in the eighth — Carson Benge scored on a single by Bichette, and Bichette then scored on a double by Soto — to complete the 9-1 final.
Nick Lodolo absorbed the loss for Cincinnati, falling to 2-2. He lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing 11 hits and 7 runs — all earned — with two walks and two strikeouts on 90 pitches. His ERA stands at 6.12. The Reds managed only five hits as a team and were unable to generate any sustained offense against McLean.
Cincinnati entered the game having won two straight and sits at 35-37, fifth in the division. The Mets, now 32-41 and also fifth in their division, have dropped two in a row. Semien, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, is three runs away from 1,000 career runs scored. Lodolo, meanwhile, is 12 strikeouts shy of 500 for his career.