17 Runners Left On Base And Cincinnati Fans Have To Be Raging

Alright, fam, you gotta hear about this wild one last night! The New York Mets, who've been stumbling harder than a tourist on Capitol Hill after too many IPAs, actually pulled off a win. They beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2, stopping a potential sweep at home. But let me tell you, the real story here, the one that'll make your jaw drop, is how the Reds absolutely fumbled away every chance they had, leaving a mind-boggling SEVENTEEN runners stranded on base. Like, seriously? SEVENTEEN!

The Reds’ Unbelievable Scoring Drought

Can you even imagine that many guys left on base? It's almost harder to do than it is to score! The Reds were just bleeding opportunities out there. They had two runners on in each of the first three innings alone, but couldn't make it count early. They finally got one across in the third when Nathaniel Lowe singled, scoring Elly De La Cruz, who reached on a pitcher's error. But the frustration was building. By the sixth, they had the bases loaded again, this time against Tobias Myers and Brooks Raley. Sal Stewart chopped an RBI infield single to cut the Mets' lead to 3-2. You'd think that's the start of a rally, right? Nope. They left 'em loaded again when Suarez flied out to center. That brought their LOB total to a ridiculous 12 through just six innings! Even Mets closer Devin Williams, who's usually money, walked the bases loaded with one out in the ninth. Did the Reds capitalize? Nah. Williams dug deep, striking out Dane Myers and Blake Dunn to seal his eighth save in nine tries. Talk about snatched defeat from the jaws of, well, not victory, but at least a much closer game. This loss was only their second in seven games, but it feels like a punch to the gut after that many missed chances.

Mets Finally Catch a Break, Sort Of

For the Mets, this 4-2 win was a much-needed exhale. Before this game, they’d scored two or fewer runs in six straight games and dropped five in a row. So, avoiding a sweep at home, for the first time since May 2013, felt like a huge win. Juan Soto, that dude is on fire. He belted his 12th homer of the season, a hanging curveball from Andrew Abbott, giving the Mets their first lead of the series at 1-0. He’s got six dingers in seven games! Carson Benge was clutch too, knocking in a run in the fifth after a De La Cruz error, then again in the seventh with another two-out single to make it 4-2. On the mound, Andrew Abbott for the Reds actually had a quality start, allowing three runs, only two earned, on five hits in six innings, with four strikeouts. But his personal four-game win streak was snapped, taking his first loss since mid-April. Jonah Tong, the Mets' reliever, got the win, going 3 2/3 innings, allowing one unearned run. It wasn't pretty, but the Mets scraped out a win, and the Reds are left to stew over those 17 ghosts on base. So, what does this mean moving forward? For the Reds, they've got to figure out how to drive in runs when it counts, because leaving that many guys out there is just asking for trouble. You can't rely on stellar pitching and diving plays like Elly De La Cruz's incredible 106 mph snag and still cough up games like that. And for the Mets? They got a win, which is something, but can they build on it, or was this just a blip in their rough patch? You gotta watch the next few games for consistency. This early in the season, every game sets the tone. Reds fans will be replaying those 17 chances for a while.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.