Juan Soto hit his sixth homer in seven games and Carson Benge had a pair of two-out RBI singles to lead the New York Mets past the visiting Cincinnati Reds 4-2 on Wednesday.
In salvaging the finale of a three-game series, the Mets avoided being swept at home by the Reds for the first time since May 20-22, 2013. Entering Wednesday, the Mets had scored two or fewer runs in six straight games, and they had lost the past five.
The Reds fell for just the second time in seven games as they missed many scoring opportunities, stranding 17 runners on base. Mets closer Devin Williams walked the bases loaded with one out in the ninth but recovered for his eighth save in nine chances.
Williams struck out Dane Myers and Blake Dunn to end the game.
Soto belted his 12th homer of the season in the second inning off Andrew Abbott on a hanging curveball that caught too much of the inside part of the plate. The drive to the seats down the right field line gave the Mets their first lead of the series, 1-0.
Abbott was hit hard in the second inning. Elly De La Cruz made a diving snare of a Marcus Semien line drive that came off the bat at 106 mph before Eric Wagaman’s 415-foot solo home run down the left field line was estimated at 110 mph.
Abbott (4-3) had his personal four-game win streak snapped and took his first loss since April 12 despite recording a quality start. The lefty allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one.
The Reds put two runners on in each of the first three innings, finally breaking through in the third. Nathaniel Lowe singled up the middle off shortstop Bo Bichette’s glove, scoring De La Cruz, who reached on a throwing error by pitcher Jonah Tong.
Tong (1-0) took over for opener Huascar Brazoban, and he allowed one unearned run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings. He issued four walks and fanned one.
Benge knocked in a run in the fifth after De La Cruz committed a two-out error on a Brett Baty grounder.
The Reds loaded the bases with one out in the sixth against Tobias Myers and Brooks Raley before Sal Stewart chopped an RBI infield single to third, cutting New York’s lead to 3-2. Cincinnati left the bases loaded when Suarez flied out to center, bringing the Reds’ left on base total to 12 through just six innings.
Benge’s two-out single in the seventh made it 4-2.
