Chris Reitsma reacts to Mo Vaughn's three-run homer in the first inning. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        The sellout crowd of 40,168 came for Eric Davis bobbleheads. They got fireworks, too — offensive fireworks from the Reds and the New York Mets, that is.

        The Mets beat the Reds 8-7 at Cinergy Field before a crowd that included about 1,500 standing room-only ticket buyers Saturday night. It was the Reds' second sellout of the year.

        The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 15-6 Saturday. That meant for the eighth straight day, the Reds wake up 3 1/2 games behind the Cards in the National League Central.

        The big crowd saw an offensive show. The teams combined for 23 hits. The Mets hit three home runs. Adam Dunn hit his first homer since July, and Reggie Taylor also hit one for the Reds, who added six doubles.

        “We couldn't hold them off,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “The three home runs were huge. But we battled pretty good, and we had a chance to win it at the end.”

Adam Dunn is greeted in the dugout after his two-run homer. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        Taylor's homer in the ninth cut New York's lead to one. After Mets closer Armando Benitez struck out Todd Walker and Jason LaRue, pinch hitter Brady Clark hit a comebacker that Benitez threw away for an error. Clark went to second but stayed there as Barry Larkin ended the game with a flyout to the warning track in right.

        “It was a good game,” Taylor said. “We kept going back and forth.”

        The Reds have lost the first two games of the homestand and are 7-17 in their last 24 games at home.

        Chris Reitsma followed his first career shutout — 2-0 at Milwaukee Monday — with what arguably was his worst performance of the year. He went five innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, and the Mets touched him up for all three home runs, equaling his career high.

        “His command of the fastball wasn't there,” Boone said.

Dunn jumps over a grounder while running to second. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        The home runs were killers.

        “When I made mistakes up in the zone, they deposited them,” Reitsma said. “I've got to cut down on the mistakes. That's the bottom line.”

        Reitsma was rocked early. He gave up a one-out single to Jeromy Burnitz in the first inning, and Mike Piazza followed with a groundball to third baseman Aaron Boone. But Boone, trying to catch Burnitz, threw wildly to second. The next hitter, Mo Vaughn, launched a towering shot to left for his 14th homer to make it 3-0.

        The Reds came back in their half of the first. Boone doubled and Dunn's blast into the green seats in right-center field, his 18th homer of the season, cut the lead to 3-2.

        The Reds took the lead in the second inning. Walker and LaRue singled, and Reitsma bunted them over to second and third. Barry Larkin walked to load the bases.

Raul Gonzalez makes a diving catch. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        Boone unloaded them with a three-run double into the left-center field gap. Just like that it was 5-3.

        The Mets got a run back in the third on Piazza's 21st home run of the year and second in as many nights.

        Edgardo Alfonzo led off the fourth with his ninth home run of the season and second in as many nights to tie the game 3-3.

        Then things went from bad to worse for Reitsma.

Aaron Boone hits a three-run double. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        He allowed back-to-back singles to Jay Payton and Roger Cedeno. Rey Ordonez tried to suicide squeeze Payton home, and Payton scored easily. The Reds couldn't even get Ordonez at first — Sean Casey fielded the bunt and made an underhanded throw toward the bag, but second baseman Walker hadn't gotten there to cover yet. The Error on Casey left runners on first and third with no outs.

        Pitcher Mike Bacsik sacrificed Ordonez to second. Roberto Alomar drove in Cedeno home with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-5.

        “Believe it or not, other than the three home runs, it wasn't that bad,” Reitsma said. “Other than that, they barely hit the ball out of the infield on me.”

        The Reds made it 7-6 in fifth on back-to-back doubles by Walker and Jason LaRue.

        The Reds loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, thanks to Boone's third hit of the night and walks to Kearns and Casey. But the Mets brought in former Red David Weathers.

Jason LaRue reacts in the dugout after striking out in the ninth inning. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        The Reds countered by pinching-hitting Taylor for Raul Gonzalez. Taylor took a called third strike.

        “It was a fastball - middle in,” Taylor said. “It was a hittable pitch. You can't take that pitch there.”

        Walker flied to center to end the threat.

        The Mets added a run off John Riedling in the seventh. Alomar doubled, moved up on a groundout and scored when Vaughn singled off Boone's glove.

        Taylor hit Benitez's first pitch of the ninth out for his fourth home run.

        “He threw the same pitch I took for strike three with the bases loaded,” Taylor said.

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