Soto homers again and Benge delivers in clutch as Mets hold off Reds 4-2 to stop 5-game slide

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto homered again, Carson Benge provided two clutch singles and the New York Mets pieced together a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that snapped a five-game losing streak Wednesday night.

Eric Wagaman also went deep in his first start for the last-place Mets (23-33), who prevented a three-game sweep and avoided falling a season-worst 12 games under .500.

New York mustered only six runs during the skid and had scored two or fewer in each of its previous six games.

Nathaniel Lowe and Sal Stewart each had an RBI single for the Reds (29-26), who stranded a season-high 17 runners against six Mets pitchers. Rookie right-hander Jonah Tong (1-0) earned his third major league win after permitting just an unearned run over 3 2/3 innings in relief of opener Huascar Brazobán.

Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver each worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Devin Williams walked the bases loaded in the ninth before striking out Dane Myers and Blake Dunn for his eighth save.

Cincinnati had won three in a row and five of six.

Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott (4-3) allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits in six innings, dropping to 0-3 in five career outings against the Mets. He was 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his previous five starts overall.

Soto connected on a first-inning curveball for his 12th homer this season, second in two nights and sixth in his past seven games.

Wagaman, playing his second game for the Mets, added another solo shot in the second for his first hit with the team.

Benge had two-out RBI singles in the fifth and seventh — both after the rookie fell behind 0-2 in the count.

Mets first baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco (left Achilles bursitis) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton, going 1 for 2 with a leadoff single and a run as the DH against Portland.

Reds: Following an off day, RHP Chris Paddack (0-6, 6.86 ERA) starts Friday night at home against RHP Grant Holmes (3-2, 3.78) and the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.

Mets: RHP Freddy Peralta (3-4, 3.52 ERA) pitches Friday night at home versus Marlins RHP Max Meyer (5-0, 2.52), who shut down the Mets on one hit over seven scoreless innings last Saturday in Miami.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets' Carson Benge (3) hits an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates with second baseman Marcus Semien (10) after winning a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets pitcher Devin Williams (38) reacts after winning a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets' Juan Soto hits a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yordan Alvarez homered twice for the second consecutive game, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth inning of the Houston Astros' 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.

Alvarez's fifth homer in three games put him at 20 on the same night Munetaka Murakami reached that number for the Chicago White Sox. Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber leads the majors with 21.

Joc Pederson also had two solo homers for the Rangers, giving him six for the season, and finished with three hits and scored three times.

Pederson's second long ball pulled Texas within a run in the eighth after the Astros went ahead 4-2 following Alvarez's homer when Christian Walker scored from first on reliever Tyler Alexander's throwing error on Taylor Trammell's sacrifice bunt.

Alvarez went deep in back-to-back games for the first time in his eight big league seasons.

The first solo shot off Jacob deGrom pulled the Astros even at 2-all in the fourth inning. Alvarez led off the eighth with a 448-foot drive off Alexander, who had entered the game for the lefty-lefty matchup. It landed not far from Alvarez's 449-foot homer in a 10-7 Houston loss a night earlier.

The Rangers walked Alvarez intentionally with a runner on first in the ninth, and Gavin Collyer struck out Walker to end the inning.

Houston right-hander Mike Burrows (3-6) matched his longest outing of the season at seven innings, allowing five hits and two runs with six strikeouts.

Enyel De Los Santos retired the final five Texas batters with three strikeouts for his fourth save.

The third attempt by deGrom for his 100th career victory ended in a no-decision. The Texas right-hander gave up four hits and two runs with six strikeouts and a walk in six innings.

Houston RHP Spencer Arrighetti (6-1, 1.32 ERA) is set to face RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-5, 3.55) Thursday in the finale of the four-game series.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Houston Astros pitcher Enyel de Los Santos celebrates after striking out Texas Rangers' Jake Burger in the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Josh Jung, left, and Joc Pederson (3) celebrate after Pederson hit a solo home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez, left, and Jeremy Pena (3) celebrate in the dugout after Alvarez hit a solo home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez walks out of the batters box watching the flight of his solo home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)