So he confidently threw a 97 mph fastball right down the Appian Way and Winker jumped on it like a German Shepherd on a fugitive’s pant leg.
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The baseball sailed far over the right field fence, a two-out home run that carried the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory.
All that was left was for Reds closer Raisel Iglesias to strike out the side in the bottom of the ninth to end a wild night — wild as in a whole bunch of walks.
Mets starter Zach Wheeler, usually a control freak, walked the first two batters on the second inning and it led to four Reds runs.
After the walks, Tucker Barnhart singled for a run, Jose Peraza doubled for run and Eugenio Suarez hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Credit: Elsa
Credit: Elsa
Manager David Bell shuffled his lineup again. After batting Joey Votto leadoff for nearly two weeks, he dropped his bat back to the No. 2 slot. Slump-ridden Jose Peraza has been batting in the lower end of the order, but Bell put him in the leadoff spot and he responded with two hits.
Reds starter Tanner Roark, though, wasn’t up to holding that 4-0 lead because he needed GPS to find home plate.
Given the 4-0 lead in the top of the second, Roark gave two back in the bottom of the second on doubles by Michael Conforto and Wilson Ramos and a single by Amed Rosario.
It got plug ugly for Roark in the fourth after he retired the first two Mets. He had a 1-2 count Juan Lagares and walked him and the water rushed over the top of the dam.
He gave up a two-out single to pitcher Zach Wheeler and he walked Jeff McNeill to load the bases. Then he walked Pete Alonso on four pitches to force in a run and his night was over.
Wandy Peralta entered and promptly walked Brandon Nimmo on four pitches, forcing in the tying run — 4-4.
Then both teams spent the rest of the night posing threats without scoring. After Peralta’s walk, the Reds bullpen went 5 1/3 innings and gave up no runs and two hits.
Michael Lorenzen pitched 1 1/3 and gave up no runs, one hit, Amir Garrett retired the two hitters he faced, one with a strikeout, David Hernandez retired the two hitters he faced, one with a strikeout and Iglesias pitched the final two innings and gave up a double in the eighth and nothing else, striking out four including all three in the bottom of the ninlth.
The Mets put two on with two outs in the sixth but Garrett arrived to retired Brandon Nimmo on a weak ground ball.
The Reds had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth. Peraza scorched a grounder to third baseman Todd Frazier and he stepped on third and threw to first for an inning-ending double play.
That set it all up for the first pitch of the top of the ninth, the home run by Winker who didn’t flip his bat or stand and admire what he did. He danced out of the batter’s box.
The Reds made the most of nine hits, two by Peraza and two by Iglesias and were aided by seven walks from Mets pitchers.
The Mets made the most of six hits, aided by seven walks from Reds pitchers.
Scoring four runs against Wheeler was unexpected. In his previous start he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies and struck out eight.
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