For Mets It's Not Easy Seeing Greene, as Hunter Beats Mets 3-2

Reds 3 Mets 2 (Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH)

Mets record: 76-67

Mets streak: Lost 2

L10 4-6

WP - Hunter Greene (6-4)

LP - Brandon Sproat (0-1)

S- Tony Santillan ( 5)

Seat on the Korner: Hunter Greene

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

Just as Ralph Kiner used to invite the star of the game into his studio on WOR-Channel 9 broadcasts, today’s virtual seat belongs to Hunter Greene. The Reds’ right-hander set the tone from the very first inning, striking out the side, and never let the Mets settle in. Greene turned in one of the most dominant outings by an opposing pitcher against New York all season — piling up 12 strikeouts, the most by any pitcher vs. the Mets this year, and the most by a Reds starter against them since Mario Soto fanned 12 back in 1981. His final line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 12 K, 1 HR, lowering his ERA to 2.59. Though Ralph was best known for hitting home runs, he always relished chatting with pitchers after a gem like this — and Greene’s outing certainly fits that category.

Need to Know

• Prior to today's game the Mets made the following roster moves : Reed Garrett was activated, The Mets optioned both Wander Suero and Kevin Herget, clearing space for Brandon Sproat as well. Justin Garza designated for assignment.

• Davey Johnson: The former Mets skipper, who guided New York to the 1986 World Series championship, passed away yesterday at age 81. In a poignant twist of baseball Magic, Baltimore rookie Jackson Holliday broke up a no-hit bid in the 9th inning which was only the fourth time the Orioles have done so since 1961. The first Oriole to accomplish that feat? Davey Johnson himself, on June 7, 1968 .

• Reds Take the Edge: After taking 2 of the 3 games in the series, the Reds claimed the season tiebreaker .

• Juan Soto needs one more to lock in his first 30–30 season — and he’s already got 38 homers.

• Cincinnati’s Bandbox: Great American Ball Park ranks 3rd in MLB in home run park factor (125).

• The Mets streak of having stolen a base in 8 straight games came to an end,(18 total), the longest streak since 2009.

• Mets roster now features 11 homegrown players, including recent debuts Sproat, McLean, and Tong.

  
  
  
  

Turning Point

Rookie Brandon Sproat, making his major league debut, had just matched Brian Bannister’s Mets mark of 5 1/3 hitless innings to start a career , a feat Bannister accomplished back on April 5, 2006 against the Nationals. But in the bottom of the sixth, the magic unraveled quickly. With one out, Noelvi Marte lined a single to right, Elly De La Cruz followed with a run-scoring double to center, and Austin Hays punched a ground ball through the left side to bring De La Cruz home. Three straight hits — the only ones Sproat would allow all afternoon — turned a 1- 1 game into a 3-1 Reds advantage, a swing that proved to be the decisive turning point of the game

Three Keys

Scoreboard Watching

September baseball always brings out the scoreboard watching, and Sunday was no exception. As the Mets wrapped up their game in Cincinnati, eyes turned to the out-of-town scores. The Phillies lost to the Marlins 5-4, while the Giants were down against the Cardinals., the Mets remain seven games back of Philadelphia in the division race and if the Cardinals hold on they would still carry a four-game cushion over both the Reds and Giants for the final Wild Card spot. Even in the booth, Keith Hernandez couldn’t resist the pull of the pennant chase — asking Gary Cohen for an update on the Phillies score mid-telecast, a true sign that September has arrived.

Downright Offensive: Mets’ Bats Go Quiet Outside of Homers

The only offense the Mets could muster on Sunday came via the long ball. Entering the day with 195 home runs as a team in 2025, they inched closer to the 200 mark as Brett Baty and Juan Soto each went deep in the loss. For Soto, the blast was his 38th, leaving him just three shy of matching the career high of 41 he set last year with the Yankees. Baty’s shot, meanwhile, was another sign of his steady growth — giving him new career bests in homers (16), RBIs (44), and batting average (.251).

A Little Green(e) Sprout: Sproat’s Debut Overshadowed by Hunter Greene

The Mets’ final top pitching prospect made his Major League debut this afternoon. At nearly 25, Sproat has logged 121 innings for Syracuse this season (4.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), with his last outing being a dominant 7-inning, 9-strikeout shutout. He brings a fastball that can touch triple digits and a full arsenal of offspeed offerings. He becomes the 8th Met to debut this year and the 3rd rookie starter in just 21 days. And the 4th rookie starter this season which is the most in franchise history.

Brandon Sproat’s much-anticipated big-league debut came with plenty of promise, poise, and a tough assignment — a head-to-head duel with Reds flamethrower Hunter Greene. For three innings, the Mets rookie matched Greene pitch for pitch, flashing his arsenal and even etching his name into the record books with his first strikeout, a called third strike on Elly De La Cruz to close out the first inning.

Sproat leaned on his fastball and slider combination, retiring Cincinnati quietly in the second and fanning TJ Friedl to cap a strikeout-filled third. Brett Baty gave the Mets an early jolt with a solo home run to right in the top half of the third, momentarily putting Sproat in position for a debut win.

But the Reds patiently worked him deep into counts. Walks became his undoing.

Austin Hays’ sacrifice fly in the fourth tied things at 1–1, and in the sixth the Reds broke through. Marte singled, De La Cruz ripped an RBI double to center, and Hays followed with a ground-ball single that pushed the lead to 3–1.

Sproat’s final line: 6 innings, 3 runs allowed on 3 hits, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts on 88 pitches. A strong debut, but Greene stole the stage. The Reds’ ace overwhelmed Mets hitters with 100-mph heat, striking out 12 across seven innings while holding New York to just Baty’s lone homer. Soto would bring the Mets to within in one with his 9th inning home run. But Tony Santillan closed the door by getting Starling Marte to ground into a game ending double play.

For the Mets rookie, it was a day of firsts — first strikeout, first walk, first run allowed — and the first glimpse of what could blossom in his career. But on this afternoon, the “Little Green(e) Sprout” belonged to Hunter, not Brandon.