Votto thrills cancer patient, 6, in win
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds ended the New York Mets’ domination in Great American Ball Park with an emphatic win and a feel-good moment, when Joey Votto gave a bat and a jersey to a young cancer patient.
Scooter Gennett drove in three runs with a homer and a double off Jacob deGrom in a 7-2 victory on Thursday that gave Cincinnati two of three in the series. Heading in, New York had won 14 straight games against Cincinnati, including eight in a row at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds finished August with a 15-14 mark, their first winning month since July of last year.
“That may seem like a small thing to most people, but it means a lot to us,” manager Bryan Price said.
Votto hit a solo shot in the seventh. After rounding the bases, he gave a bat and jersey to a 6-year-old boy he met at the ballpark last week through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Walter Herbert sat next to the dugout and wore a blue shirt that read: “BE KIND.”
“We did not expect that,” Walter’s mother, Emily, said. “We thought he’d say ‘Hi’ when he recognized him. We were very surprised he went all out.”
Votto declined to talk about his gesture after the game. Told that the family was thrilled, Votto said, “Well, that’s what’s important.”
The Mets will help bring baseball back to Houston this weekend, playing a doubleheader on Saturday against the Astros. They will have Friday off, providing a chance to help recovery efforts for those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
“One of the things we talked about as a team: It’s not a publicity stunt,” manager Terry Collins said. “We don’t want any cameras. We just want to go and help out. The stuff that these guys are going to do and that I’m going to do is pretty much an individual thing. We’ll just see what we can do when we get there.”
Gennett’s two-run homer came in the second inning, and he doubled home a run in the fifth off deGrom (14-8).
Robert Stephenson (3-4) won his third straight start, allowing two runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
The Mets are 19-28 since the All-Star break. The Reds are 18-28.