Mets’ Struggles Continue with Heavy Loss to Reds

CINCINNATI — The Mets found themselves in a tough spot Monday night, losing to the Reds 12-0 at Great American Ball Park. They might have needed a comeback similar to what the Knicks have done, but their performance didn’t show any spark.

After a slow start, the Mets fell behind early, and despite settling into the game somewhat, they ultimately couldn’t find any rhythm. Tobias Myers, returning from Triple-A Syracuse, struggled significantly in his outing, which dimmed the positive feelings from last weekend’s series win over the Braves.

The situation worsened for the Mets when they placed Christian Scott on injured reserve due to a right hip impingement, raising concerns about the starting rotation. Myers had a particularly rough start, giving up seven earned runs in just one-third of an inning.

Eugenio Suarez was a key player for the Reds, blasting two home runs, one of which was a grand slam, and driving in six runs overall, contributing to the Reds’ dominance over the Mets in their recent matchups.

The Mets’ pitching woes have been hard to ignore, and there’s uncertainty surrounding Kodai Senga, who is set to start on Tuesday. Fans are left wondering if he’ll return as a stronger pitcher or if he’ll struggle as he did in the second half of the previous season.

Offensively, the Mets faced challenges against Reds’ pitcher Chase Barnes and struggled to capitalize, going just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. This performance starkly contrasts their earlier games against the Braves, where they had scored well.

Barnes managed to pitch five scoreless innings with a commendable ERA drop to 2.01, marking his 11th consecutive start allowing two earned runs or fewer.

Things started poorly for Myers. Blake Dunn led off with a double, and after a walk to Sal Stewart, he made a couple of steals. The Reds quickly took the lead on a groundout, and then Myers faced Suarez, who hit a deep shot over the left field fence, putting the Mets in a 3-0 hole.

The second inning was particularly damaging. Myers walked several batters, loading the bases before Jonathan Pintaro came in and allowed a single, extending the Reds’ lead to 5-0. Suarez then hit his grand slam, further cementing the Mets’ troubles.

Brady capped off the Reds’ scoring with a three-run shot in the eighth inning against David Peterson, who didn’t have an awful outing, allowing three earned runs across three innings. However, it felt overshadowed by earlier struggles.