Cincinnati Game Highlights

In a recent game, Brandon Sprote showcased potential that has both the Mets and fans feeling hopeful for this season and beyond.

In the coming weeks, he might just be the kind of ace that the Reds could lean on, especially considering how they managed to stifle the Mets’ offense on Sunday.

Sprote had a solid performance, but Hunter Greene was nearly flawless in his major league debut, allowing just three hits in a 3-2 win for the Reds. This victory further complicated the Mets’ playoff aspirations as they fell behind in the wildcard race.

After this loss, the Mets (76-67) not only lost the series but also saw their playoff chances dim, now sitting four games back of Cincinnati and 3½ games behind the Giants.

In his inaugural game, Sprote quickly joined a rotation that includes Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong, suggesting he might have found his groove.

Throwing a variety of six pitches, he consistently generated weak contact, with a sinker reaching 98 mph, keeping up the hard-throwing style he had displayed with Triple-A Syracuse. Remarkably, he didn’t yield a hit until the sixth inning.

That hit—a looped single by Noervi Marte—was soon followed by an RBI double from Ellie de la Cruz and an RBI single by Austin Hayes.

This sequence set the stage for Jeff McNeill’s two-run lead to evaporate.

As Greene continued to dominate, he cruised through the innings, a stark contrast to the Mets’ struggles. Notably, Brett Baty did manage his third home run of the season.

In the seventh, the Reds’ ace allowed a walk to Pete Alonso, but his pitch count had climbed into the 90s, featuring a high-velocity heater consistently reaching 99.6 mph.

The Mets rallied in the ninth inning with Juan Soto at the forefront, and both Alonso (thanks to an error by Elly de La Cruz) and Brandon Nimmo (with a single) made it on base. Yet, Marte’s grounded double play solidified the Mets’ struggle, now dropping to 0-59 when trailing after eight innings.

Despite his team’s loss, Sprote’s initial innings provided a promising glimpse into his major league career, with a final line of three runs allowed on seven hits and four walks over seven innings.

Interestingly, Sprote conceded his first career run before allowing his first hit. He had effectively silenced the Reds early on, but after walking Marte to start the fourth, a series of events led to the game being tied.