Reds rout Mets, who fall 11 under .500 again

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NEW YORK (AP) — Chase Burns tossed 5 1/3 strong innings and won his fourth straight start Tuesday night for the Cincinnati Reds, who beat the Mets 7-2, dropping New York 11 games under .500 — tying a season-high.

The Mets, who ended April at 10-21, have lost five straight to fall to 22-33. They have scored just six runs and collected 25 hits during the losing streak — their second-longest of the season behind a 12-game skid from April 8-21.

Eugenio Suárez and Elly De La Cruz each had two-run doubles off David Peterson (3-5), who also gave up a pair of RBI hits to Tyler Stephenson. Sal Stewart added a run-scoring single in the eighth.

Burns (7-1) allowed two runs and walked two with eight strikeouts. He carried a one-hit shutout into the sixth, when Juan Soto, back after a two-game absence due to illness, delivered a two-run homer.

Burns has a 1.54 ERA over his last four starts to lower his seasonal ERA to 1.96. He hasn’t lost in his last eight starts dating back to April 18.

Peterson gave up six runs and a career-high 11 hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five-plus innings. The 11 hits surrendered were the most allowed by a Mets pitcher since Luis Severino was tagged for 11 hits in five innings on March 30, 2024.

Home plate umpire Emil Jimenez went 2 for 9 on ABS challenges. He lost the first six challenges before a pair of calls — a ball to Spencer Steer and a strike to Suárez — were upheld in the seventh.

LHP Andrew Abbott (4-2, 3.97 ERA) starts Wednesday’s series finale for the Reds. RHP Huascar Brazobán (3-1, 1.73) will serve as an opener for the Mets, who will have Jonah Tong (0-0, 0.00) available on four days rest for bulk relief duty.

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