Reds Silence Mets Behind Burns’ Dominant Pitching, 7-2 Win

The Cincinnati Reds came to Queens on Tuesday and reminded the New York Mets exactly what a complete, professional baseball team looks like. Behind Chase Burns‘ sharp pitching and a lineup that refused to let David Peterson settle into any kind of rhythm, Cincinnati cruised to a 7-2 victory at Citi Field that felt far more decisive than the final score suggests.

Let’s start with the pitching, because this is where the Reds made their statement. Burns, dealing with precision and swagger, gave the Mets absolutely nothing to work with over 5.1 innings. He scattered just four hits, struck out eight, and allowed only two runs, both of which came on a Juan Soto solo blast in the sixth. That’s the kind of performance that wins baseball games in May and builds confidence heading into June. The kid showed poise, showed stuff, and showed the Mets that Cincinnati came to play.

Peterson, meanwhile, imploded like a house of cards in a windstorm. Five innings, 11 hits, six earned runs, three walks. Those aren’t numbers that get you out of the third inning on a good day, let alone Tuesday night. The Reds’ lineup was aggressive, fearless, and relentless, jumping on everything early and often. This wasn’t a case of the Mets throwing a gem and the Reds scratching out a win. This was Cincinnati showing Carlos Mendoza’s crew that they belonged on the same field.

Early Explosion Sets the Tone

The tone got set immediately. Eugenio Suárez doubled sharply to center in the first inning, driving in both Sal Stewart and Spencer Steer. Just like that, the Reds had a 2-0 lead before most fans had even settled into their seats. That early punch would prove prophetic. Cincinnati wasn’t going to let the Mets hang around, and they weren’t going to give Peterson any margin for error.

Tyler Stephenson, a name that will haunt Mets fans if this team’s injuries continue to pile up, kept the pressure on with an RBI single in the fourth. Then Elly De La Cruz, the Reds’ rising superstar, drove in two more runs with a sharp double to right. By the time the fourth inning ended, it was 6-0 and already over. The Mets’ defense couldn’t help Peterson, and frankly, neither could their hitting, outside of Soto’s two-run homer that served as a consolation prize.

Soto’s Solo Shot Can’t Save the Day

Juan Soto did what he does best, launching his 11th home run of the season in the sixth to make it 6-2 and spark a brief moment of life in the Mets’ dugout. But it was far too little, far too late. Cincinnati added another run in the eighth on a Sal Stewart single, and by then, the game had been decided for innings. This is what happens when your ace gets shelled and the other team’s starter is locked in. The Reds won this game in the first four innings, and everything after that was just watching the final score get written.

For Cincinnati, this is exactly the kind of road victory that builds championship DNA. For New York? This is the kind of loss that stings, especially with an early deficit and a pitcher who simply couldn’t find the zone. The Mets will bounce back, but Tuesday night belonged entirely to the Reds.