NEW YORK – For the Reds’ front office to increase its chances of being buyers before the July 31 Trade Deadline, the team coming out of the All-Star break strong was viewed as pivotal. So far, the players on the field have held up their end of the bargain.
Holding on for a 5-2 victory over the Mets on Saturday at Citi Field gave the Reds back-to-back victories in the opening series of the first half, with a chance to sweep on Sunday. Cincinnati (52-47) improved to five games above .500 for the first time this season.
"We know this is a big stretch," said closer Emilio Pagán, who pitched a scoreless – but harrowing – ninth inning for his 21st save. "But for us, every stretch is a big stretch.
“We’re playing good baseball. We’ve been playing good baseball. We probably could have won a few more games down the stretch leading into the All-Star break. Kind of shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times. Overall, we’re playing good ball. Everybody’s engaged, and we’re trying to extend this right now.”
Previous clubs helmed by manager Terry Francona saw second-half surges quite often. During his 10 full seasons with Cleveland, his teams had a better second-half record (.571 winning percentage) than first (.529). Although better in the first half, the Red Sox still had a .562 winning percentage in the second half under Francona from 2004-11.
To get their first playoff berth in a full season since 2013, the Reds will need to overtake the teams ahead of them in the National League Wild Card race – which include the Mets. Cincinnati was two games behind the Padres for the third and final spot pending San Diego’s game against the Nationals, and it was in third place, seven games behind the Cubs, in the NL Central.
“It’s huge. It’s obviously a playoff-bound team, a really good ballclub," Reds starter Nick Martinez said of the Mets. "It shows who we are and what we mean. We’re trying to make a run ourselves, and to start the second half with two big wins is a good way to show the league.”
Martinez allowed two runs on six hits and two walks over five innings with five strikeouts. The Mets had a 2-0 lead after Brett Baty's leadoff homer in the second inning.
Poor Mets defense opened the door for the Reds to bounce back against pitcher Clay Holmes. After Jake Fraley's leadoff double in the third, Noelvi Marte drew a walk. A delayed pickoff throw to first base by catcher Luis Torrens zipped into right field for an error that scored Fraley. Marte scored the tying run on Matt McLain's RBI single to left field.
“When you get those extra bags and extra runs off plays like that, it’s everything," Fraley said.
A pair of two-out singles in the fourth, including one for an RBI by Fraley to center field, scored Austin Hays after his leadoff walk. Two more runs crossed in the sixth inning, with Fraley again coming through with a two-out RBI double that scored Tyler Stephenson for a three-run lead.
The game got tense in the late innings for the Reds’ bullpen. Taylor Rogers walked two batters in the sixth, and Scott Barlow walked one to load the bases with one out. Barlow escaped the jam with a strikeout and a groundout to first base. In the eighth, Graham Ashcraft overcame Marte's fielding error by inducing a double play.
Pagán opened the bottom of the ninth with Torrens hitting a single before Brandon Nimmo walked ahead of a superstar stretch of the Mets’ lineup of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso. After Lindor hit into a fielder's choice, Soto came within inches of hitting a game-tying home run before the ball hooked just foul in right field. The eight-pitch at-bat ended with a strikeout on a Pagán cutter.
Alonso ended the game with a flyout to Fraley in right field.
“The whole last three innings, we walked guys, which is never advantageous. But we bent and never broke," Francona said.
“That’s about as good of an atmosphere as you’re going to see. It’s agonizing, but it’s fun. I don’t know how else to explain it better than that. Your stomach is in your throat. You know you’re going to win, but you’re not sure how.”
Said Fraley: “Tremendous team. You saw it there in the ninth. You’re up three runs, but with the lineup like that, even with a guy like Emilio on the mound, it’s tough. That’s a playoff team over there. For us to come in here and do what we’ve done so far, it’s honestly no surprise to any of us in here.”