Reds 7, Mets 2: Lodolo Fans Seven as Bleday and Stephenson Homer at Citi Field

The lead

May 25, 2026 - New York - Nick Lodolo delivered his best start of 2026—six innings, one run, seven strikeouts, no walks—and the Cincinnati Reds backed him with home runs from JJ Bleday and Tyler Stephenson in a 7-2 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field, per SI.com and the Associated Press recap on Yahoo Sports.

The Reds scored all seven runs between the second and fourth innings off Mets rookie Nolan McLean (2-3), who struck out the side in the first before unraveling.

How the game turned

McLean breezed through Blake Dunn, Elly De La Cruz, and Bleday in the first, but Cincinnati flipped the switch shortly after. The Reds piled on with a pair in the second, one in the third, and four in the fourth—including homers from Bleday and Stephenson.

Marcus Semien's solo homer leading off the sixth was Lodolo's only blemish on 98 pitches (65 strikes). The Mets scored again in the seventh on Brett Baty's double and a Carson Benge groundout, but four Cincinnati relievers closed out the 7-2 final.

Pitching and matchup notes

Lodolo (1-1) allowed six hits with an 11-2 ground-ball-to-fly-ball ratio. McLean allowed seven runs in 4⅓ innings; his ERA rose to 4.40 after a second straight rough outing.

AthX Engine graded Cincinnati at 15 team FP with Lodolo at 19 pitching FP—third on the Memorial Day pitching board behind Jacob Misiorowski and Jesús Luzardo.

Bats that changed the board

Even with Dunn and De La Cruz combining 0-for-9 with five strikeouts, the Reds manufactured enough early offense to put the game away. Spencer Steer contributed to the second-inning rally. New York has scored six runs in its last five games and lost its fourth straight.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

19 pitching FP from Lodolo plus mid-order homers is the AthX Engine template for 15 team FP on a road afternoon—pitching value carried the day even when the stars at the top of the order went quiet. Daily scoring remains separate from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

Chase Burns (6-1) starts for Cincinnati on Tuesday; the Mets have not announced a starter, per SI.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, CBS Sports box score, SI.com, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*