CINCINNATI – Lucas Duda hit a pair of three-run homers on Friday night, and Noah Syndergaard dominated with his 99 mph fastball, leading the New York Mets to a 12-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The Mets' magic number for clinching the NL East was reduced to one with Washington's 8-2 loss to Philadelphia. They are on the verge of their first playoff spot since 2006.
Duda was the catalyst as New York stretched its road winning streak to nine games, matching the club record from 2006. He had a pair of RBI doubles on Thursday night in a 6-4 win, and hit three-run homers off Anthony DeSclafani (9-12) and Tony Cingrani on Friday. His six RBI were a career high. He now has 24 homers.
Curtis Granderson added a three-run shot in the eighth as the Mets took a 12-0 lead.
Syndergaard (9-7) struck out 11 over 7⅔ innings, the fourth time he's reached double-digits in strikeouts. He retired 16 in a row over one stretch.
The Reds fell to 90 losses for first time since 2007, the year before Dusty Baker took over as manager and led the team to three 90-win seasons.
The Mets are 24-15 all-time at Great American Ball Park, the best winning percentage by any NL team. They've excelled on the road overall, going 28-11 since July 1.
The road has been Syndergaard's weak spot. The rookie came into the game only 1-5 with 4.47 ERA on the road, compared to 7-2 at Citi Field with a 2.57 ERA. He's been much better lately, winning his last two road decisions.
