The Mets, losers in 18 of their last 32 games, jumped to a 2-0 lead after two innings, only to watch Jake Fraley bang three hits and drive in two runs.
The Reds have won six of seven to scramble to a season’s best five games over .500 (52-47). In five of those six wins they’ve spotted the opposition leads of 2-0, 2-0, 2-1, 2-1 and 3-1 before making a comeback.
They have made comebacks 23 times this season, 16 since June 1.
And just like Friday’s 8-4 game, the Mets had the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning that featured a classic battle: Reds closer Emilio Pagan ($16 million contract) against Juan Soto ($765 million contract).
With the Reds leading, 5-2, the Mets put two men on base with one out, bringing Soto to the plate, accompanied by the roar of 42,605 fans in Citi Field.
The count went to 3-and-1 and a bug attacked Soto, forcing him to step out of the box waving his arms at the insect. On 3-and-2, Pagan threw ball four, but catcher Tyler Stephenson was awarded a timeout before the pitch by umpire Manny Gonzalez.
Soto then launched one deep into the right field seats...foul by a few feet from tying the game. The Mets asked for a review but it was quickly confirmed a foul ball.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
On the next pitch, Soto appeared to hold up a checked swing, but third base umpire Alex Tosi ruled he swung. Strike three.
Pagan then quickly ended the game via a fly ball into the right field corner by equally dangerous Pete Alonso and the Reds had the win and Pagan his 21st save.
“That’s why I fell in love with this game, for moments like that,” Pagan told reporters after the game. “I enjoyed every second of that, but I’m sure Reds fans didn’t. I had a blast out there.
“Those are arguably some of the best players on the planet and I have a lot of respect for those guys.”
Asked about his mindset when facing Soto, Pagan said, “Punch him out. On the foul ball, I threw a pitch way over his head and he’s really good at keeping those balls fair. Obviously he didn’t keep that one fair.
“Then I got a breaking ball below the zone and I know he wanted to be the hero there and wanted to swing, so I just had to get it close enough to entice him.”
The ordeal left Francona close to swallowing his sunflower seeds.
Asked asked if he could describe his emotions in the ninth, Francona told reporters, “No. This not an X-rated...no, I couldn’t. The whole last three innings we walked guys, which is never advantageous, but we bent but never broke.”
Starter Nick Martinez gave up a a pair of two-out singles in the first, one by Mark Vientos that produced a run, then stranded the bases loaded.
He gave up a first-pitch home run in the second to Brett Baty and the Reds were down again, 2-0.
Fraley led the third with a double and Noelvi Marte was hit by a pitch. Catcher Luis Torrens tried to pick Marte off first and nearly threw it onto a runway at LaGuardia airport. Fraley scored, Marte took third and scored on Matt McLain’s single, tying it, 2-2.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Austin Hays walked to open the fourth and came around to score on Fraley’s two-out single for a 3-2 lead. The Reds scored their final two in the sixth on another Hays leadoff walk, a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Tyler Stephenson and Fraley’s second double.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first, Martinez stranded two Mets in the fourth and a runner on third with one out in the fifth.
Then he turned it over to the usual suspects out of the bullpen. Taylor Rogers, Scott Barlow, Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft and Pagan held the Mets to no runs and one hit over the final four innings.
There was a tense few minutes in the sixth when Rogers and Barlow walked three to load the bases with one out, but Barlow struck out Brandon Nimmo and broke Francisco Lindor’s bat on a weak ground ball.
Lindor is 0 for 17 and left six runners on base. After New York’s first four in the batting order went 1 for 17 Friday, the first four went 2 for 18 Saturday.
Tony Santillan pitched the seventh and struck out Soto, Alonso and Vientos — 1-2-3.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“Barlow made some really good pitches (in the sixth) and Pagan just gutted it out,” said Francona. “In this atmosphere, that’s about as good an atmosphere as you’re gonna see.
“It was fun,” he added. “It’s agonizing, but it’s fun. I don’t know how else to explain it, but it doesn’t get any better than that. Your throat...something is in your throat. You know you’re gonna win, but you aren’t sure how.”
So the Reds have emerged from the All-Star break with two wins over the potent Mets.
“It’s fun man, I love this role and I love the opportunity Tito has given me,” said Pagan. “This is what we talked about, talked about coming out of the break hot, trying to force the organization’s hand to go get some help for us so we can see what we can do for the Reds fans and try to do something special.”
NEXT GAME
Who: Cincinnati at N.Y. Mets
When: 1:40 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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