Stroman, Smith grand slam help Mets beat Reds

CINCINNATI — Marcus Stroman

pitched one-hit ball for eight innings,

Dominic Smith launched a grand

slam and the New York Mets cruised to

a 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

Stroman (7-8) gave up a clean leadoff line drive single to left by Aristides Aquino in the third

inning and little else. He struck out seven

and walked one while giving New York’s beleaguered

bullpen precious rest going into Thursday’s day off.

“To be honest, I have the same mentality

and mindset in every game,” he said. “It

doesn’t change. That’s my goal. That’s the standard. That’s the key for me of whoever was on the

mound – to go deep. It’s a great feeling to

hear the guys saying, ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’”

The Mets used a combined 12 relievers over the first two games in Cincinnati.

“Highly important, right?” said manager Luis Rojas, back in the dugout after serving a two-game suspension for excessive arguing on Sunday.

“Stroman’s been outstanding this season. He’s kept us in a lot of games. His record doesn’t show

how well he’s pitched. He gave us the eight innings. We needed it. We’re glad he gave that breather to the bullpen,” he said.

Stroman hit Jonathan India with his first pitch of the game, then quickly settled in after going 0-4 in his previous six

starts. His only difficulty came when he was struck by Jesse Winker’s comebacker to start the seventh, and Stroman recovered to throw him out.

“We ran into a good one today,” Reds

manager David Bell

said. “Stroman was on top of his game. He shut us down.”

Jeurys Familia struck out three in a hitless ninth.

Luis Guillorme hit his first homer of the

season and Jonathan Villar also connected for the NL East leaders.

The top of the Mets’ order loaded the bases with three singles to

begin the third against Jeff Hoffman (3-5),

prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Derek Johnson.

Smith lofted Hoffman’s next pitch for an opposite-field drive into the seats in left for

his second career grand slam. Smith’s other slam came last

Sept. 11 against Toronto. Smith knew Hoffman had to be around the plate.

“Especially in that situation,” he said. “There was nowhere to

put me. With the bases loaded, you know he

has to try to get ahead and throw his best pitches to get me out. He made a pretty good pitch, and I was able to put a good

swing on it and hit it out.”

Villar homered to right in the third, a

ball that umpires reviewed to make sure

there was no fan interference. Guillermo added a two-run homer off Tony Santillan in the fifth.