NEW YORK (Interstat) — Nick Lodolo pitched six strong innings and the Cincinnati Reds broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning, defeating the New York Mets 7-2 on Monday evening at Citi Field.

Lodolo, who entered the game with an 0-1 record and an 8.00 ERA over his previous two starts, allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out seven. He walked none and threw 58 balls, 24 strikes and recorded 24 balls in play over his six-inning outing. The left-hander improved to 1-1 on the season.

The Reds struck first in the second inning. Sal Stewart was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Eugenio Suárez singled to right field, putting runners at first and second. Nathaniel Lowe walked to load the bases with no outs. Spencer Steer then grounded into a force out that scored Stewart from third, giving Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.

Cincinnati added to its advantage in the third inning when JJ Bleday hit a solo home run to right-center field, his seventh of the season, making the score 2-0.

The decisive rally came in the fourth inning. Suárez led off with a walk. Lowe followed with a double to right field, putting runners at second and third. Steer singled to center field, driving in both Suárez and Lowe to stretch the lead to 4-0. Tyler Stephenson then homered to left field, a two-run shot that scored Steer and gave the Reds a 6-0 cushion. Stephenson finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Reds added another run in the fourth despite not recording another hit. Blake Dunn was hit by a pitch, and after Elly De La Cruz grounded into a force out, Bleday walked. Stewart struck out to end the inning, but Cincinnati had built a 7-0 lead.

The Mets managed single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Marcus Semien led off the sixth with a solo home run to left-center field, his fourth of the season. In the seventh, Brett Baty doubled to left field and later scored on a groundout by Carson Benge.

Semien was 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI for the Mets. Bo Bichette had three singles in four at-bats. But the Mets managed only two runs despite outhitting Cincinnati 9-6.

New York pitchers combined for 18 strikes, 43 balls and 18 balls in play. Nolan McLean took the loss, falling to 2-4 on the season. McLean allowed seven runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out five.

The Mets bullpen performed well in relief. Jonathan Pintaro threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three without allowing a hit. Tobias Myers struck out three in 1 1/3 hitless innings. Austin Warren struck out three in 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit.

Cincinnati’s Sam Moll struck out three in a perfect seventh inning. Graham Ashcraft struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Tejay Antone worked the ninth, allowing two hits but no runs.

The Reds improved to 28-25 with the win. The Mets fell to 22-32.

Cincinnati has won two of its last three games after a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on May 19 and a 9-4 win on May 20. The Reds lost 8-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals on May 22 before rebounding with a 7-6 win over the Cardinals on May 23.

The Mets have lost four in a row. They were swept in a three-game series at Miami over the weekend, losing 2-1 on May 22, 4-1 on May 23 and 4-0 on May 24. New York had won three of four before that slide, including a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees on May 17.

The attendance was 36,734. The game time was 2:56.

Lodolo’s previous outings had been rough. He allowed three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in a 5-4 loss at Philadelphia on May 18, and five earned runs in four innings in an 8-7 loss to Washington on May 13. His turnaround Monday was key for a Reds rotation that has been inconsistent.

Stephenson’s two-run homer was his fourth of the season. Steer drove in three runs, giving him 33 RBIs on the year. Bleday’s home run was his seventh.

For the Mets, Semien’s solo shot was his fourth. Baty doubled for his eighth two-base hit. Bichette had three hits but the Mets could not string together enough offense against Lodolo and the Cincinnati bullpen.

The game was the first of a three-game series at Citi Field. The teams meet again Tuesday and Wednesday. After that, the Reds return home to host the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series starting Friday. The Mets will host the Miami Marlins for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cincinnati Reds 5, New York Mets 4. Interstat’s ELO system projected the Mets with a 53.20 percent probability to win. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of nine went under the over/under line of 7.5.