Wade Miley, solo homers help Cincinnati Reds beat Mets to snap four-game losing streak

After the Cincinnati Reds lost four consecutive games out of the All-Star break, well, maybe it was time to try something a little different.

When the New York Mets took the field for drills before Tuesday’s game, Reds reliever Sean Doolittle walked around the dugout burning sage. He carefully walked through both rows of the dugout, then headed for the bullpen.

Doolittle passed a small group of reporters standing outside the dugout and shrugged without saying a word.

Hey, whatever it takes.

Wade Miley was tremendous for 6 1/3 innings, the bullpen withstood some trouble and the Reds snapped their losing streak with a 4-3 victory against the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park.

There were some tense moments in the final innings. With a two-run lead in the seventh inning, Brad Brach replaced Miley with two runners on base. He induced a 40-foot dribbler against Pete Alonso, but Joey Votto dropped his throw at first base for an error, which allowed a run to score.

Brach survived the inning with a one-run lead when he induced an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.

After the Reds added a run in the bottom of the seventh inning – Tyler Stephenson hit a sacrifice fly – reliever Heath Hembree surrendered two hits in the eighth inning, including an RBI double to pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme.

Amir Garrett took the mound for the ninth inning and walked the first batter he faced on four pitches. He pitched around it and earned his seventh save of the season.

The Reds needed a big start from Miley, especially with a taxed bullpen from two extra-inning games in a three-day stretch, and the 34-year-old left-hander delivered another impressive performance. He permitted one earned run across 6 1/3 innings and matched a season-high with eight strikeouts.

It was Miley’s sixth consecutive start where he’s pitched at least six innings, lowering his ERA to 2.72.

Every time Miley seemingly pitched into trouble, he kept responding. He stranded two runners in scoring position in the second inning and two runners on base in the fourth. In his third trip through the Mets order, which is usually a big advantage for hitters, he allowed one hit and two walks.

Miley received some help from his outfield. Aristides Aquino made an impressive running grab on the warning track in the fourth inning. Miley was so excited by Aquino’s catch that he dropped his mouth open and forgot to backup Aquino’s throw to first base momentarily.

In the sixth inning, it was Jesse Winker’s turn for a highlight catch with a leaping grab while sprinting backward.

The Reds climbed ahead in the third inning through back-to-back solo homers from Votto and Aquino. Votto’s homer was a no-doubter as he hammered an elevated fastball from Mets reliever Stephen Nogosek. Votto is one RBI shy from tying Frank Robinson for fourth on the franchise’s all-time list.

Aquino homered on the next pitch, a literal wall scraper that just dropped over the wall in center field. It was the fifth set of back-to-back homers by the Reds this season.   

After scoring 11 runs without a homer Monday, the Reds used the longball to generate offense Tuesday.

The Mets took a lead just eight pitches into Miley’s outing when Alonso crushed a solo homer to center field. It was the second straight day that Alonso, a two-time Home Run Derby champion, homered in the first inning.

New York’s lead lasted two pitches.

Jonathan India, teammates with Alonso at the University of Florida, opened the bottom of the first inning with a solo homer to the batter’s eye in center field. It was his first career leadoff homer, lifting a 94-mph fastball that caught the middle of the plate.

“I want to win,” India said after Monday’s loss. “I don’t really care about personal goals; that stuff doesn’t matter to me. I compete. I want to win. I do that for the team. I don’t do that for myself. I just want to win.”

Mets starter Robert Stock, who pitched in the Reds’ farm system in 2017, exited after one inning because of a right hamstring injury. He appeared to injure his hamstring when he was running to first base on a groundout in the top of the second inning, slowing a few feet in front of the bag.