Former Mets All-Star Starting Pitcher Returning To Mound Against Reds

The New York Mets rode a nice series win over the Atlanta Braves from over the weekend into its series opener against the Cincinnati Reds Monday, but failed to continue the momentum.

The Mets were blown out and held scoreless in a 12-0 rout, highlighted by Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez’s two home runs and right-hander Chase Burns’ dominance on the mound.

Suarez hit the first of his two homers, a two-run shot to left, to put the Reds up 3-0 in the first inning. He added his next homer, a grand slam to center, in the second – it was 9-0 by the end of the inning.

A JJ Bleday three-run blast in the eighth made it 12-0, but it was clearly not needed for a Cincinnati win. The Mets offense was dead outside of a 3-for-5 night for infielder Bo Bichette, which included two doubles in the first and fourth innings.

Mets right-handed swingman Tobias Myers opened the game for New York and it did not go well. He lasted 1.1 innings and allowed seven runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one on 43 pitches. Relievers Jonathan Pintaro and David Peterson combined to allow five runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 6.2 innings of work.

Burns wasn’t as lights-out as he typically is, but he still tossed five scoreless innings of four-hit, three-walk ball with seven punchouts.

New York has a much better chance to generate offense in Game 2 of this series when it takes on Reds right-hander Brady Singer.

Singer hasn’t had success this season, making this matchup a perfect opportunity for the Mets to get back in the win column. The former first-round pick is 2-6 with a 5.61 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 47 strikeouts to 20 walks through 13 starts (61 innings) this season.

One thing that has hurt Singer is the long ball. The 29-year-old has allowed 17 home runs, tied for fourth-most in Major League Baseball. In a ballpark that is homer-friendly, it could be a tough day for Singer if the Mets bats wake back up.

New York will send struggling right-hander Kodai Senga to the bump, who hasn’t pitched since April 26 due to lumbar spine inflammation and ulnar nerve irritation. The former All-Star is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA, 1.95 WHIP and 23 strikeouts to 13 walks through five starts (20 innings).

Senga last pitched against the Colorado Rockies and threw just 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one. The 33-year-old hasn’t pitched well since straining his right hamstring in mid-June a season ago and he was pacing to be a Cy Young contender at the time of his injury.

First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. EDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.