Reynolds, Johnson homer to lift Mets past Reds
CINCINNATI -- Matt Reynolds and Kelly Johnson homered and Bartolo Colon pitched six shutout innings, lifting the bleary-eyed New York Mets to a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
It's the 11th shutout win this season for New York.
The Mets beat the Nationals in a nationally televised game Sunday night and didn't arrive at their hotel in Cincinnati until approximately 4 a.m.
As a result, manager Terry Collins chose to rest several regulars, including Curtis Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes.
Jay Bruce went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his first game in Cincinnati since being traded to the Mets in July. He received a standing ovation from fans in right field in the first inning and was well-received prior to each of his at-bats.
Colon (13-7) allowed only five hits over his six innings.
Reynolds, who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to Monday's game, went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Reds rookie right-hander Robert Stephenson, making his third major league start, struck out four through two innings, including three straight in the second.
Reynolds crushed a solo homer to the opposite field on a 2-1 pitch in the third innings to put the Mets ahead 1-0. It was Reynolds' third homer this season.
Cincinnati had runners on first and second with no outs in the third, but Colon retired the next three batters in succession.
Wilmer Flores was retired twice while trying for the extra base, both times on throws from left fielder Adam Duvall.
In the first inning, Flores was thrown out at second following a single. In the fourth, he was retired at third after doubling into the left-field corner.
Duvall became the first Reds player since Jay Bruce in 2014 to have two outfield assists in a game.
Johnson went deep on a 2-1 pitch from Stephenson (2-1) to make the score 2-0 leading off the fifth, his 10th homer this season.
Cincinnati wasted Hernan Iribarren's first career triple leading off the sixth. But, Colon again set down three straight to keep the shutout intact.
The Mets scored three times in the seventh off Alfredo Simon, on RBI singles from James Loney and pinch hitter Cabrera and a sacrifice fly by Alejandro De Aza to make it 5-0.
NOTES: The Mets recalled INF Matt Reynolds from Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday. He started at shortstop and batted eighth. ... Reds 2B Brandon Phillips returned to the lineup Monday after missing two games with a sore left foot. ... Reds CF Billy Hamilton who left Sunday's game with a strained left oblique, underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. ... Mets RF Jay Bruce, with his wife Hannah, was honored by the Reds during a pregame ceremony recognizing his nine seasons with the club.