CINCINNATI – For a Reds offense that has lacked run production of late, Eugenio Suárez was the sorely needed double espresso shot on Monday evening.
The Suárez boost came early when the veteran slugger delivered two home runs in his first two plate appearances – including a second-inning grand slam – during a 12-0 Reds win over the Mets at Great American Ball Park.
Cincinnati applied pressure quickly on Mets starter Tobias Myers when Blake Dunn led off with a double, stole third base and later scored on a groundout. With two outs and in a full count, Suárez drove a fastball into the left-field seats for a two-run homer and a 3-0 lead.
A second-inning rally had the first two Reds batters reach before Edwin Arroyo beat out the throw on a sacrifice bunt attempt back to Myers for a single that loaded the bases. JJ Bleday's walk forced home a run and knocked out Myers. Against reliever Jonathan Pintaro, Sal Stewart's RBI single added another run.
Once again in a full count situation, Suárez didn't miss a cutter over the plate from Pintaro and clobbered it to center field for a grand slam. It was the ninth of his career, and his fourth over his two tours with the Reds.
It was the first time the Reds scored more than five runs since a 6-4 win over the Braves on May 31, which was also the game in which Elly De La Cruz strained his right hamstring and went on the injured list.
In the previous 12 games prior to Monday night, Cincinnati had averaged only 3.1 runs while going 3-9.
Reds starter Chase Burns was the beneficiary of the run support while pitching five scoreless innings with four hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. Burns cruised through his first three innings while retiring nine of 10 batters, allowing only a Bo Bichette double in the first inning.
The latter pair of innings proved more laborious for Burns, however. After a Bichette leadoff double for the Mets' second hit of the game in the fourth inning, the right-hander grinded through a 32-pitch frame with two walks and a bases-loaded jam. Burns escaped with a pop up to shortstop by Marcus Semien and a strikeout of Brett Baty with a slider in the dirt.
Burns opened the fifth inning with a walk, and endured another bases-loaded spot with one out before getting out cleanly. But with 100 pitches – including 57 over the final two innings – his night was over.