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Acce s the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. CINCINNATI Brandon Sproat was excellent, displaying the kind of upside that the Mets can dream on for the rest of this and future seasons. Maybe one day, in the coming weeks or years, he can be the type of front-line arm that the Reds used Sunday to throttle Mets bats. Sproat was promising, though Hunter Greene was all but perfect in besting the debuting rookie. Greene bulldozed a Mets lineup that was one-hit through eight innings in a 3-2 Reds victory that narrowed the playoff picture. The Mets (76-67) lost the series and a bit of ground in the wild-card chase, four games ahead of Cincinnati, San Francisco and Arizona pending the Diamondbacks result Sunday against the Red Sox. Carlos Mendozas group enjoys enough of a cushion that it can afford a setback like this one in which it witne sed another hyped, young arm take a no-hitter into the sixth inning. New York Mets starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (40) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Following an interesting if not dominant Jonah Tong on Saturday and preceding Nolan McLean Day on Monday, Sproat fought off jitters that resulted in a four-pitch walk to start his career and thrived with stuff he felt was not his best. Explore More Obviously, the walks, just fell behind hitters, and then I didnt have my heater, said Sproat, self-critical after allowing three runs on three hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. But thats part of pitching. Some days, youre not going to have a certain pitch, and you got to go out there and figure out a way. CHECK OUT THE AND The way for Sproat included a six-pitch mix and an array of breaking stuff that continually elicited weak contact. A nifty, backdoor curveball caught Elly De La Cruz looking for his first strikeout. He Nick Madrigal Jersey leaned on a sweeper that induced three whiffs and could land in the strike zone, like one that might have plunked KeBryan Hayes before sweeping acro s the inside of the plate for Strike 3. Those offerings compensated for a pair of fastballs that Sproat was not thrilled with, a two-seamer that touched 98 mph and four-seamer that hit 97 mph. Noelvi Marte #16 of the Cincinnati Reds scores in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park on September 07, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Getty Images Found a way to give us a solid six innings, give us a chance to win the game, but overall a great performance, Mendoza said of Sproat, who became a rare pitcher to allow a run before allowing a hit. Sproat shut down the Reds through three innings before walking Noelvi Marte to begin the bottom of the fourth. A steal, groundout and sacrifice fly later, the Reds had tied a game in which a third-inning Brett Baty home run comprised the entire Mets offense until a ninth-inning rally that came up short. Sproat was not truly touched until the sixth, when Marte looped a single before De La Cruz roped an RBI double and Austin Hays added an RBI single. Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (21) pitches against the New York Mets in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Teetering, Sproat bore down and used a curveball to strike out Gavin Lux and four-seamer to punch out Sal Stewart. Amid his most challenging inning, the 24-year-old could hear encouragement from his mother. I know that voice from anywhere, the Florida native said with a smile. Super ble sed for [my parents] to be able to make it. Theyve been my backbone since day one. Always supported me. Brett Baty #7 of the New York Mets hits a solo home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 07, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Getty Images They supported him through a University of Florida tenure that led to him being drafted twice by the Mets, who failed to sign him after his junior year before doing so after his senior year. And through a rough stretch to begin this season, in which he had a 5.95 ERA after 15 starts with Triple-A Syracuse before turning a corner and finally receiving a call that McLean and Tong already had received. With three weeks left in the regular season, the Mets have three rookies with virtually no experience competing for potential playoff starts. New York Mets starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (40) points to the crowd as he walks to the dugout before the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Its encouraging. But we need everyone here, said Mendoza, adding the club will be reliant upon David Peterson, Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes, too. But its good to see those kids coming up here and giving us a chance to win them games. Were going to need them as well. Because of the brilliance from Greene (12 strikeouts in seven, one-run innings) and because of a mostly silent Mets offense, Sproat did not leave with a win. He did leave with a ball that he planned to give to his parents to take home, that way I dont lose it, he said. On to the next one, Sproat added. Jose Cuas Jersey |
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发表于 2025-11-30 11:27:08