Mets Lack the Wright Stuff in Clutch as Reds Notch 5-2 Win

Reds 5 Mets 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 55-44

Mets streak: Lost 3

Last 10: 4-6

WP - Nick Martinez (8-9)

LP - Clay Holmes (8-5)

SV - Emilio Pagan (21)

Seat on the Korner: Jake Fraley

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.

Cincinnati right fielder Jake Fraley was the straw that stirred the rink, doubling to right in the second and scoring on an ill-advised pickoff throw by Mets catcher Luis Torrens, singling a run in in the third and doubling again in the sixth to drive in another Reds run. A 3-for-4 day, two RBI and a key run scored, to account for 60 percent of the Reds' runs. Fraley is hitting only .222 on the year, but that average rises to .289 when he is ahead in the count; he was even or ahead on all three of his hit-producing at-bats in this game. Take a seat and talk a little hitting with Ralph.

Need to Know

• The Mets are now 10-20 over their last 30 games.

• With two walks and a single, Brandon Nimmo has reached base is 13 straight games. .

• Francisco Lindor, perhaps the captain in waiting, went 0-for-5 and is in the midst of an 0-13 slump.

• Juan Soto was called out on strikes in the first and the ninth, both times with runners in scoring position, thanks to questionable calls by home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez and first base umpire Ron Kulpa.

• The loss dropped the Mets' home record to 33-16.

• Before the game, David Wright became the eighth Met to have his number retired: Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, Keith Hernandez, Willie Mays and Darryl Strawberry are the others. Also retired: two managers (Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges) and one baseball-wide legend (Jackie Robinson) .

• The Mets' current David, Peterson, tries to Wright the ship Sunday with a start against Andrew Abbott.

Turning Point

While a case could be made that the turning point came in the top of the sixth, when the Reds scored two runs to pad their lead to 5-2 -- lowlighted by Ronny Mauricio throwing somewhat wildly on what would have been an inning-ending double play -- we'll continue with the theme of the day and highlight one of the Mets' many missed opportunities. They loaded the bases on walks in the bottom of the sixth -- the third one a 12-pitch at-bat by Luis Torrens off of Reds reliever Scott Barlow. But neither Brandon Nimmo nor Francisco Lindor could bring a runner home. Nimmo struck out swinging and Lindor grounded out to first. An opportunity lost, one of many as the frustration continues.

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Three Keys

Mets RIP with RISP

As has been their problem throughout the season, the Mets came up short with runners in scoring position, leaving the bases loaded in the first and the sixth and failing to score anyone despite bringing the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth. The Mets were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base .

Raley to the Rescue?

Maybe not in this game...it was 5-2 when he entered..but Brooks Raley made his first appearance of the season , pitching a clean seventh with two strikeouts --certainly giving fans the reason they needed to forget Richard Lovelady and allowing them to hope for more of this to come. Meanwhile, although he didn't make it out of the sixth, Clay Holmes at least did not surrender a home run, as he had in 11 of his previous 12 starts. But Ryne Stanek and Chris Devenski also threw scoreless innings.

A Good Day for Two Natural Third Basemen

Ronny Mauricio played third and went hitless, but the Mets' other two "natural" third basemen had productive days, accounting for both Mets runs. Mark Vientos, today's DH, singled in the Mets' first run in the first and Brett Baty, getting the start at second, homered in the second and also had a single.