CINCINNATI — There was a brief moment toward the middle of last month when the Reds seemed like a credible threat — perhaps the only remaining credible threat — to the Mets’ National League Wild Card chances.
The Mets flew to Cincinnati this week with the goal of eliminating that threat entirely.
In fairness, by the time they touched down in Northern Kentucky earlier this week, the Mets had already marginalized the Reds despite playing inconsistent baseball overall. Their 5-4 win at Great American Ball Park on Friday night was merely a capper, increasing New York’s margin over Cincinnati to six games with 21 to play for both teams. They’ll go head-to-head twice more on Saturday and Sunday.
At this point, the Giants (4 1/2 games back) represent more of a threat to the Mets than the Reds. But San Francisco sold off pieces at the Deadline, including reliever Tyler Rogers, who recorded three key outs Friday as part of a stellar New York bullpen effort. After David Peterson allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings, Ryne Stanek, Brooks Raley, Rogers and Edwin Díaz combined on the final 11 outs without major issue until the ninth, when Díaz escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam to record the save.
Mark Vientos led the offensive charge with an RBI single and a solo homer, but the lineup went quiet after rapping out five runs against Reds starter Andrew Abbott. Those five runs wound up being all the Mets would need.
