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Harvey gets nod for Mets vs. Reds

Jun 27, 2015 - 1:54 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Matt Harvey tries to bounce back from a hard-luck loss when he leads the New York Mets into the second portion of a three-game series versus the Cincinnati Reds Saturday at Citi Field.

Harvey was dealt the loss in a 1-0 decision at Atlanta on Sunday and surrendered the lone run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. Harvey, who tossed seven shutout innings versus Toronto on June 16, is only 2-5 in his past seven decisions and 7-5 with a 3.18 earned run average in 14 starts.

The hard-throwing right-hander has a 4-2 record in seven home starts and is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in two career starts against Cincinnati.

New York's other young arm Noah Syndergaard shined in Friday's 2-1 win over the Reds with eight innings of one-run ball. Syndergaard scattered five hits, struck out five batters and did not issue a walk.

"I just had everything working for me," said Syndergaard. "I was just able to make quality pitches and execute and get some quick outs. I knew this team was going to be a fairly aggressive lineup, a lot of veterans on the team, so I knew that they would capitalize on my mistakes. But I felt like I kept the ball down, changed speeds, kept them off balance really well."

Jeurys Familia relieved Syndergaard in the ninth and set the Reds down in order for his 21st save.

Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run and Lucas Duda recorded the other RBI for the Mets, who have won two in a row after losing seven straight.

The Reds had won two in a row and six of eight games prior to last night's loss, as Johnny Cueto was slapped with the hard-luck defeat to fall to 4-5 this season. Cueto surrendered both runs and two hits with six K's and three walks in six innings of work.

"I think he was trying to find his way out of that inning without the ball being put in play and he just wasn't able to make the pitch he needed to to get out of that inning," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Cueto's fifth inning.

Chris Dominguez knocked in Cincinnati's lone run in the second inning, plating Jay Bruce on a ground out.

Cincinnati had scored five or more runs (21 total) in four straight games.

Michael Lorenzen gets the call for the Reds Saturday and is 3-2 with a 3.56 earned run average in 11 games (9 starts). Lorenzen has prevailed in each of his last two appearances and hurled seven innings of two-run ball in a 5-2 win over Miami on Sunday.

Lorenzen will face the Mets for the first time.

The Reds went 2-4 against the Mets last season and the two clubs will meet again for four games at Cincinnati in late September.