On the Mets beat

Mets (52-46) v. Reds (48-51)

And it was going so well for the Mets, too.

After something of an improbable winning streak, the Mets come into today's game against the Reds on the verge of losing the series. They wasted a capable performance by Ollie Perez yesterday and will now look, as they have so many times this season, to Mike Pelfrey to help carry them through.

Pelfrey (8-6, 3.64 ERA) has won sixth straight games and has been tough when the Mets needed him the most. He hasn't allowed a run in the past 16 innings and gets the early start because of Pedro's growing health problems. He has four of the team's six shutouts and, last week, earned the NL player of the week honors. But, where Pelfrey has been great, the Reds' Edinson Volquez has been unstoppable. Volquez (12-3, 2.29 ERA). The dominant righty has 126 strikeouts to his name so far and has lost only once in his past nine starts. He, too, is on something of a tear - winning his last two and giving up just two runs over seven in his last start.

Ok, Laura Albanese here to take y'all through it. Back with the live blog in a jiffy.

FINAL: 7-5, METS
Bottom of the tenth
Wagner in. Bako strikes out looking. Javier Valentin strikes out swinging on the slider. Bruce strikes out swinging.

Top of the tenth
Robinson Cancel to hit. He rips a double off the left-center wall. Reyes pops up the bunt but it lands in front of Bako and he beats the throw. Runners at the corners. AReyes hits it to Encarnacion at short. He goes to second but the throw skips off of Phillips' glove. Cancel scores and the Reyes' go to second and third on the error. The Reds walk Wright intentionally. Beltran strikes out swinging. Delgado flies out and Reyes tags up. Bako can't handle the throw and he scores. AReyes moves to third. PITCHING CHANGE: Gary Majewski. Tatis strikes out.

SCORE: 7-5, METS

Bottom of the ninth
Phillips flies out to right and Chavez needs to make the running catch to save a hit. Dunn walks. Encarnacion strikes out waving at a changeup. Corey Patterson running for Dunn. Votto fouls out.

Top of the ninth
Francisco Cordero pitching. Beltran loops a single to right and steals second. Delgado flies out to shortstop. Tatis walks. Beltran gets gunned down trying to steal third (clooose, close call). Castro hits a looper to right. Tatis goes to third. Chavez hits a rocket to first for the out.

Bottom of the eighth
Duaner Sanchez in to pitch. Bruce drops a swinging bunt in front of the plate and Castro gets him, 2-3. Keppinger grounds out deep to third and Wright nabs it on the backhand for the out. Griffey strikes out swinging.

Top of the eighth
Damion Easley hitting for Pelfrey. Ex-Met David Weathers in to pitch. Easley strikes out looking on the slider. Reyes flies out to left-center. Wright flies out to center.

Bottom of the seventh
Votto flies out to Tatis in left. Bako grounds the ball right through Reyes' legs for the error. Jolbert Cabrera grounds into the 6-4-3 double play.

Top of the seventh
Wright walks to lead off the inning. Beltran flies out to center and Wright steals second. Delgado lines a single to center to score Wright. PITCHING CHANGE: Mike Lincoln. Tatis in to hit. He walks on a borderline curveball. Castro strikes out swinging and Chavez flies out to left.

SCORE: 5-5.

Bottom of the sixth
Griffey strikes out swinging. Brandon Phillips hits a home run off of a hanging slider to give the Reds the lead. Dunn flies out to left. Encarnacion pops out to second.

SCORE: 5-4, REDS

Top of the sixth
Jeremy Affeldt in to pitch to face Pelf, who grounds out. Reyes and Reyes strike out.

Bottom of the fifth
Andy Phillips pinch hitting for Volquez (110 pitches) and pops out to shallow right. Bruce flies out to center. Keppinger flies out to center.

Top of the fifth
Leadoff walk for Delgado. Anderson lines a fastball up the middle to put runners on first and second for Ramon Castro. Castro fouls out. Chavez flares out to second and Delgado, who's halfway to third, gets doubled off.

SCORE: 4-4

Bottom of the fourth
Griffey hits a ground rule double that Anderson seems to lose mid-air. Phillips smacks an RBI single up the first base line. Phillips steals second and the throw goes to centerfield. Beltran isn't there to back it up and he moves to third. Dunn flies out to DEEP center. Phillips scores. Encarnacion hits a solo home run to tie the game. Votto grounds out to short. Bako flies out to left.

SCORE: 4-4

Top of the fourth
Pelfrey strikes out. Reyes lines a long triple to the wall - juuuuuust missed being tagged out. AReyes gets drilled by the pitch. Wright flies out to right and Junior has to dive to make the catch. Reyes scores. Beltran grounds out to second.

SCORE: 4-1, METS

Bottom of the third
Volquez grounds out to first. Bruce lines a single to right and extends his hitting streak to nine. Keppinger grounds into a Reyes-Reyes-Delgado dp to end the inning.

Top of the third
Beltran grounds out to shortstop. Delgado lines a shot just inside the first base line for a double. Anderson strikes out swinging. Castro hits a two-run home run to left to help the Mets retake the lead. Chavez grounds the ball to Phillips who goes deep in the hole and flips it, backhand, to first base for the out.

SCORE: 3-1, METS

Bottom of the second
Adam Dunn hits a solo shot to tie the game. Edwin Encarnacion grounds out to third on the first pitch and Joey Votto strikes out on three pitches. Paul Bako strikes out on three straight, too. Guess the home run didn't rattle him.

SCORE: 1-1.

Top of the second
Endy Chavez strikes out swining on a high fastball. Pelfrey in a battle against Volquez, who's thrown 40 pitches...3-2 count and he walks him. Reyes singles to left off the curve and Pelfrey goes to second. AReyes grounds out into the fielder's choice. They go for the out at second (instead of getting Pelfrey going to third). Runners to first and third. Wright fouls out to end the inning.

Bottom of the first
Jay Bruce grounds out to first, 3-1. Jeff Keppinger strikes out on a moving two-seem fastball (on three pitches, no less). Ken Griffey, Jr. walks on a 3-2 pitch. Brandon Phillips grounds out to shortstop.

Top of the first
Reyes grounds a breaking ball up the middle for a single. Volquez sails a wild pitch to the backstop and Reyes pulls into second. TheOtherReyes (TOR?) bunts is up in the air for the out. Volquez seems to be struggling with his control so far. Two straight balls to DWright. Reyes steals third on an outside pitch (no. 33) and Wright walks. Beltran singles to left. Reyes scores. Wright goes to second. Delgado follows up with a basehit to left. Bases loaded with one out. Marlon Anderson fouls out for out number two. Castro flies out to the base of the warning track to end the inning.

SCORE 1-0, METS