Mets 12, Reds 5
CINCINNATI – Lucas Duda hit a pair of three-run homers, and Noah Syndergaard pitched seven shutout innings as the New York Mets reduced their magic number to one with a 12-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
Right fielder Curtis Granderson added a three-run homer off J.J. Hoover putting the Mets (87-67) in position to clinch their first National League East title since 2006 on Saturday afternoon with a victory over the Reds or a Washington Nationals loss.
Both New York and Washington play at 4:05 p.m. EST on Saturday.
Syndergaard (9-7) was sharp throughout Friday's outing, allowing two runs on five hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks. He retired 16 straight in one stretch.
New York erupted for five runs in the seventh to put the champagne on ice.
Granderson's run-scoring double, and an RBI hit by second baseman Daniel Murphy made the score 6-0. Granderson had four RBIs.
Duda then thrilled the large contingent of Mets fans in attendance when he launched a 3-1 pitch from left-hander Tony Cingrani an estimated 441-feet into the right field seats.
Duda's six RBIs are a career-high. It also was his 12th career multi-home run game and sixth this season which is tied for the major-league lead.
Reds rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (9-12) hung around for 6 1/3 innings but was lifted after 94 pitches and seven runs allowed, five of which were earned.
Syndergaard didn't allow a hit over 5 1/3 innings before right fielder Brennan Boesch hit his first home run of the season with two outs in the eighth.
Cincinnati, losers of six straight and currently last in the National League Central, scored four times with two outs in the eighth.
Left fielder Adam Duvall hit his fourth homer off Mets right-hander Tim Stauffer in the ninth. By then, though, Friday's result was a foregone conclusion.
Syndergaard had issues with the mound prior to throwing his first pitch Friday, and members of the grounds crew raked the dirt and applied compound.
Following a few warm-up pitches, Syndergaard allowed a leadoff double by center fielder Jason Bourgeois, then promptly retired the next three batters.
Mets left fielder Michael Conforto doubled to center in the second and scored on Syndergaard's single, putting the Mets ahead 1-0. It was Syndergaard's seventh hit and fourth RBI.
Duda's three-run homer into the left-field bleachers on a 1-0 pitch from DeSclafani gave New York a commanding 4-0 lead.
It was Duda's 23rd home run this season and second since coming off the disabled list Sept. 7.
NOTES: Mets manager Terry Collins wouldn't comment Friday on how many innings RHP Matt Harvey would pitch in Saturday's start against the Reds. ... Collins said Ruben Tejada will get the bulk of the playing time at SS because Wilmer Flores is "starting to run out of gas." ... Mets RHP Carlos Torres (strained left calf) threw a bullpen session Friday. He hasn't pitched since Monday. ... Reds rookie RHP Michael Lorenzen has pitched 109 2/3 innings this season. Manager Bryan Price said Lorenzen will remain a one-inning reliever unless a starter is injured. ... Reds RHP Homer Bailey threw long-toss Friday and remains on track to resume a normal schedule in December. He had season-ending Tommy John surgery in May.