NEW YORK — The Reds had the National League’s best record in July and they were third-best in the Major Leagues at 16-10. To improve their hopes of reaching the playoffs, they may have to play even better in August.
Sunday’s 7-1 victory over the Mets started the new month on a high note for the Reds. It gave them two of three games and their first series win at Citi Field since 2013.
Back to a season-high-tying six games over .500 at 56-50, Cincinnati has won five of its last six games and seven of its last 10.
Starting pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez gave Cincinnati seven innings while allowing one earned run off three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. The only run Gutierrez gave up came on Jeff McNeil’s one-out homer to center field in the sixth.
Mets starter Marcus Stroman, who allowed one hit over eight scoreless innings against the Reds on July 21, was far more hittable on Sunday. Part of his career-best five-hit game while filling in at first base for the resting Joey Votto, Max Schrock lifted a two-out solo homer to right field in the fourth inning.
Cincinnati got some more distance from New York in the sixth inning. Jesse Winker hit a leadoff double off Stroman and scored on Kyle Farmer’s RBI triple to left-center field that extended his career-high hitting streak to 10 games. Tyler Stephenson added another run with a sacrifice fly that scored Farmer. After Stroman was pulled, reliever Miguel Castro walked Gutierrez with the bases loaded to make it a 4-0 game.