Mark Vientos sensed good things ahead for the New York Mets even during a subpar stretch in mid-August.
On Friday night, Vientos almost singlehandedly ensured the Mets’ longest winning streak in five years would continue in the timeliest fashion possible.
Vientos and the Mets will look to remain red hot Saturday afternoon, when New York hosts the Cincinnati Reds in the middle game of a three-game series.
Left-hander Jose Quintana (7-9, 4.27 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against Reds right-hander Jakob Junis (4-0, 3.13).
Vientos hit two two-run homers Friday night, including the walk-off blast in the 10th inning that lifted the Mets to a 6-4 win.
With their eighth straight win, the Mets (77-64) remained tied with the Atlanta Braves for the final National League wild-card berth. The Braves beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Friday.
The Mets have made up four games on the Braves during the winning streak, which is their longest since they won eight straight from Aug. 3-10, 2019.
New York hasn’t trailed in the last 63 innings dating back to Aug. 30, when the Mets spotted the Chicago White Sox a first-inning run in a 5-1 victory.
The Mets were 12-13 in their first 25 games in August, a span in which they never won more than two consecutive games and endured only one losing streak longer than two games.
“I kind of said it last month when we were kind of going through that phase of losing a couple games that we’re going to get hot at the right time,” said Vientos, who also hit a two-run homer in the first inning on Friday. “And I think September’s the right time to get hot.”
Vientos’ third multi-homer game of the season cooled off the Reds (68-74), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Cincinnati arrived in New York after recording a three-game sweep of the American League West-leading Houston Astros.
In addition to trying to play spoiler, the Reds are auditioning pitchers for rotation spots in 2025. Of the five pitchers who have made at least 15 starts for Cincinnati this season, four are on the injured list (Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo) while Frankie Montas was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 30.
Second-year left-hander Brandon Williamson, who didn’t make his season debut until Sunday due to a left shoulder strain, allowed one run on one hit over 4 2/3 innings as a bulk reliever on Friday. Williamson pitched one day after rookie Rhett Lowder blanked the Astros over 6 1/3 innings in the Reds’ 1-0 victory.
“We didn’t want to lose any of our starters, that’s for sure, but it’s created an opportunity,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Some of these guys might have been getting opportunity anyway, they’re good pitchers and we think highly of them. But at least until those other guys come back, they’re going (to) continue to get to pitch.”
Quintana, who will be seeking his 100th career win, earned the victory in his most recent start. On Aug. 31, he allowed two runs (one earned) over five innings as the Mets beat the White Sox 5-3. He is 5-4 with a 2.93 ERA in 15 career games (14 starts) against the Reds. Quintana didn’t factor into the decision in Cincinnati on April 5, when he gave up one run over 5 2/3 innings in New York’s 3-2 win.
Junis last pitched on Sunday, when he gave up one run over 3 2/3 innings of relief in the Reds’ 4-3, 11-inning win over the Brewers. He is 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA in three games (two starts) against the Mets.
