The New York Mets hosted the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field for the first game of the three-game series played on Friday. While the Mets are eyeing a wild card spot, the Reds are almost out of contention to get to postseason. The home team took Game 1 6-4, but it required them to go to extra innings for the result.
The to-and-fro game saw Sean Manaea starting for the Mets while Brandon Williamson served as the primary pitcher for the Reds.
The home team started hot as Mark Vientos gave them an early 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first inning. The Reds came back to tie the game on Elly De La Cruz's two-run home run in the fourth to tie the game. Buck Farmer could not escape the jam left by Williamson, resulting in Mets adding two more runs, thanks to RBI singles from Jose Iglesias and JD Martinez.
Manaea, who was having a good day, left on a sour note as in his seventh inning, he gave up another two-run home run, this time to TJ Friedl, as the Reds came around to tie the game 4-4. No runs were scored in the next two innings, forcing the game to extra innings.
Vientos, who homered in the first inning, came up clutch again to hit a two-run walk-off home run against Justin Wilson to seal the game for the Mets.
Cincinnati Reds vs. New York Mets Game Player Stats
Cincinnati Reds game player stats
New York Mets game player stats
Mark Vientos, Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl Home runs tonight
The Citi Field crowd was treated with a good spectacle as hitters from both teams got their barrel to speak. Four home runs were scored, two from Mark Vientos and one each from Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl. Vientos' coming in third drove in Francisco Lindor with his two-run, 368-foot home run against Fernando Cruz.
Next up, Elly De La Cruz crushed the baseball to tie the game with his 413-foot, two-run moonshot in the center field. TJ Friedl also went deep against Sean Manaea with his two-run 394-foot home run in the seventh inning.
However, the most important home run of the night came off the barrel of Vientos again. With game on the line in the 10th inning, Vientos went for the stands on the 94 mph heater from Justin Wilson to send the Reds packing.