Bullpen Steps Up Again After Stock Goes Down But Mets Come Up Short In Loss To Reds

The Mets lost their starter Robert Stock to a hamstring injury after just one inning tonight, but the bullpen did their part again, allowing three runs in eight innings. Unfortunately, the Amazins' comeback fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Reds.

After the Mets lost starting pitcher Robert Stock after just one inning on Tuesday night, the bullpen stepped up again to deliver eight innings, while allowing three runs. 

But this time, the Mets' comeback fell short. Following an offensive explosion last night, which saw 26 runs cross the plate, the Mets' bats couldn't do much tonight as they went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in a 4-3 loss to the Reds.

While the Mets have done their best to try to piece together innings from their razor thin pitching staff, they lost yet another arm in Stock, who exited with a right hamstring injury after trying to run out a ground ball in the top of the second inning.

This forced the Mets to go to the recently called up Stephen Nogosek, who was the only member of the bullpen that was not used in Monday night's 11 inning affair.

And despite allowing back-to-back solo homers, Nogosek was solid, giving the Mets a much-needed three innings in relief, while striking out five.

Pete Alonso homered in the first inning for the second-straight contest to give the Mets a 1-0 lead early.

Alonso goes deep again #LGM pic.twitter.com/Z4RS3Dl3pD

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) July 20, 2021

But the Reds struck back in the bottom half when Jonathan India took Stock deep for a leadoff homer to even things up at 1-1.

The Reds took a 3-1 lead behind back-to-back long balls off Nogosek in the bottom of the third.

And Yennsy Diaz pitched another scoreless inning in the fifth for the second straight night.

In the top of the sixth, Geoff Hartlieb made his Mets debut, and stranded two runners in scoring position in a clean inning of work.

At this point, Reds starter Wade Miley had settled in to toss five shutout frames after allowing the home run to Alonso in the first.

But in the top of the seventh, Miley began to lose his command, issuing back-to-back walks to start the inning. After striking out Brandon Nimmo looking, Miley's night was over at 102 pitches.

His final line was: 6.1 innings, two runs (one-earned), eight hits, eight strikeouts and two walks.

This saw the Reds bring in former Met Brad Brach to face Alonso with runners on first-and-second with one out. Alonso hit a dribbler to the third base side, and Brach fielded it cleanly, but Joey Votto dropped the ball at first, which allowed a run to score, cutting the Mets' deficit to 3-2. 

With the Mets looking to tack on more runs, Jeff McNeil grounded out into an inning ending double play to end the threat.

Hartlieb began the bottom of the seventh, but lost his control as well. The right-hander walked the leadoff batter, and got Jesse Winker to groundout. 

As a result, fill-in manager Dave Jauss brought in lefty Aaron Loup to face Votto with a runner on second. And just like in his last outing, Loup found himself in bases loaded trouble, only this time he allowed a sac-fly, which let the Reds increase their lead to 4-2.

But in the top of the eighth, the Mets fought back against Reds reliever Heath Hembree. With two outs and James McCann on first, Luis Guillorme had a pinch-hit RBI double to bring his team within a run. Unfortunately, Jonathan Villar stranded the tying run at second.

Reliever Drew Smith was the next up in the line out of the Mets' bullpen in the bottom of the eighth, and immediately gave up a deep drive off the wall by Eugenio Suarez. However, Suarez was gunned down by Nimmo at third, trying to stretch out a triple.

Got him! @You_Found_Nimmo pic.twitter.com/fnZMSNsuuI

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 21, 2021

Smith received more help from his defense when Guillorme made a great back hand play in the hole at shortstop to get the lead runner at second base. This helped Smith get through a scoreless eighth.

Despite walking the leadoff man, Reds closer Amir Garrett came back to slam the door shut on the Mets.

The Mets are now 49-43 on the season, and will look to take the series on Wednesday afternoon with Marcus Stroman on the mound.