CINCINNATI _ The Mets' day started with them walking to the plate in the wrong order and ended with them walking off the field as losers.
Adam Duvall's 10th-inning home run against AJ Ramos handed the Mets a 2-1 loss against the Reds on Thursday afternoon in Cincinnati. The Mets dropped two out of three to Cincinnati, the worst team in the National League, and scored three runs in their final 23 innings against the Reds, who started that stretch with the worst team ERA in baseball.
Right-hander Zack Wheeler turned in his best start in weeks, a six-inning gem in which he allowed one run, struck out seven and scattered four hits and three walks. His streak of 12 consecutive retired Reds ended in the sixth, when four of the first five batters reached. Joey Votto's single to right scored Cincinnati's run.
It was an important rebound for Wheeler, who was rocked by Colorado his last time out. Wheeler has had trouble in the first inning this season (14.40 ERA) and in his career (5.45 ERA), but avoided runs this time, working around a walk and a single.
The Mets' run scored in the third, when Brandon Nimmo tripled and scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's groundout to first.
In the first inning, the Mets batted out of order after turning in the wrong lineup card to the umpiring crew before the game.
Wilmer Flores struck out for the second out of the first inning and Cabrera doubled, following the announced batting order. However, the lineup card the Mets turned in had those two switched in the order. Plate umpire Gabe Morales called an out, nullifying the double and ending the threat. The out was credited to Jay Bruce, who was due up next.
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