Mets 5, Reds 3
NEW YORK -- Neil Walker hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning Monday night as the New York Mets remained red hot with a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field.
Michael Conforto homered in the first, scored three runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle for the Mets, who have won nine of 11, a stretch in which they have outscored the opposition 61-31. Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer in the third.
Conforto walked leading off the seventh and trotted home on Walker's blast off J.C. Ramirez (0-1). The homer was the eighth of the season for Walker, whose previous career high for homers in a month was seven. Only one other Mets second baseman -- Jeff Kent in 1994 -- hit eight homers in April.
Logan Verrett (2-0) recorded the final out in the top of the seventh. Addison Reed threw a perfect eighth, and Jeurys Familia notched his sixth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Zack Cozart finished with two RBIs for the Reds -- via a third-inning sacrifice fly and a seventh-inning single -- and Joey Votto tied the game in the seventh with an RBI single. Billy Hamilton stole two bases for Cincinnati, which finished with five thefts in as many attempts against Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard and catcher Travis d'Arnaud.
D'Arnaud left after seven innings due to right shoulder discomfort.
Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips left in the fourth inning after being hit in the left ring finger by a Syndergaard pitch. X-rays were negative.
Syndergaard allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out nine over 6 2/3 innings.
Reds starter Raisel Iglesias allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over five innings.
NOTES: The Reds placed RF Jay Bruce on the paternity list and purchased the contract of RHP Layne Somsen from Triple-A Louisville. Bruce, whose wife is giving birth to the couple's first child, is expected to rejoin the Reds on Friday. Somsen will be making his major league debut when he appears in a game. ... To make room for Somsen on the 40-man roster, the Reds transferred RHP Michael Lorenzen (sprained right elbow, mononucleosis) to the 60-day disabled list. ... Mets CF Yoenis Cespedes (bruised right leg) missed his third consecutive game, and he might miss the entire series against the Reds. Manager Terry Collins said Cespedes had fluid drained from the leg earlier Monday. ... Cespedes has an extra base-hit in each of the past seven games in which he played. It is the longest streak of his career and the longest active streak in the majors.