Chris Bassitt dominates in Mets' victory over the Reds

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Chris Bassitt scattered eight hits over eight innings and Starling Marte hit a two-run homer in the first, leading the New York Mets to a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.

With their 13th victory in 15 games, the Mets extended their NL East lead to seven games over idle Atlanta. New York just took four of five from the defending World Series champions at Citi Field last weekend.

Bassitt (9-7) allowed an unearned run and walked one while striking out eight in his second eight-inning outing this season and fifth in 114 career starts. He threw 114 pitches before getting pulled by manager Buck Showalter, most by a Mets starter this year and two shy of his career high set in August 2019.

"I want to go 115 or 120 pitches every start," Bassitt said before grinning. "But Buck don’t let me."

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New York Mets' Chris Bassitt pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in New York.  (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Bassitt has thrown at least 100 pitches in a start 25 times since the beginning of 2019.

"I’ve done that for years. BoMel (ex-Athletics manager Bob Melvin) did that with me in Oakland and I think genuinely that’s why they brought me over here, for just that reason," Bassitt said. "I’m not afraid to go over 100 pitches and it really doesn’t affect me."

Bassitt's five-pitch assortment included a mid-90s (mph) fastball and a low-70s curveball. He faced the minimum through three innings before wriggling out of trouble the rest of the night. The Reds scored in the fourth, when he induced three fielder’s choice groundouts — all from