Brandon Sproat’s big-league debut in Cincinnati was a study in promise and nerves: three earned on three hits over six-plus, with four walks and seven strikeouts, and a no-hit bid into the sixth that Reds bullpen could not cap. Hunter Greene matched the night with 12 punchouts across seven frames, flashing a 101.5 mph heater that kept the Mets swinging and missing. New York rallied late, but Cincinnati held on 3-2 to take the series and snag the NL Wild Card tiebreaker.

As the Mets stall on the road trip, Philadelphia sits seven games ahead in the NL East, while New York’s late-inning drama leaves fantasy managers weighing Greene’s upside against Sproat’s volatility in his first big-league foray. The night also highlighted Noelvi Marte, Elly De La Cruz, and Francisco Álvarez in pivotal moments, plus Soto’s ninth-inning homer and Diaz’s jam-escape, underscoring a tense chase for playoff positioning.