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Final Score: Cincinnati 3 - NY Mets 8

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Carlos Beltran hit a two-run home run and an RBI double, and the New York Mets downed the Cincinnati Reds, 8-3, in the rubber match at Shea Stadium.

Oliver Perez (3-3) went six innings, holding the Reds to three runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. Jose Reyes went 3-for-5 and scored twice, and Ryan Church followed Beltran's home run in the fifth with one of his own for the Mets, who have won three of four.

Rookie Johnny Cueto (2-4) continued to struggle to regain the form from his first two starts. Cueto, who fanned 18 and allowed just three runs over his first 13 1/3 innings in the majors, gave up eight hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings, fanning five and walking three.

Jeff Keppinger went 2-for-3 with a run batted in and scored for the Reds, who have split their last six games.

The Mets jumped all over Cueto with three runs in the first. Reyes led off with a single to center and quickly swiped second before coming around to score on Luis Castillo's triple. After David Wright flied out to center, Beltran laced an RBI double to the left-center gap. Moises Alou then capped the frame with a two-out, RBI two-bagger to make it a 3-0 game.

A host of players on both clubs used pink bats in honor of Mother's Day and to help raise funds and awareness for breast cancer, and Beltran appeared comfortable with the pink lumber. The Mets center fielder followed up his RBI double with a long ball, as he ripped a hanging breaking ball into the seats in right, a two-run shot with one out in the fifth.

"I was looking for a slider," said Beltran. "I got it in the middle of plate and I was able to hit it good."

Cueto then hung another off-speed pitch to Church, who slammed it over the fence in right-center for a 6-0 Mets lead.

The Reds broke through for three against Perez in the sixth. Adam Dunn plated one run with a sacrifice fly, then Keppinger tripled to left-center to score another. A wild pitch by Perez allowed Keppinger to come home, cutting the deficit in half, 6-3.

The Mets answered with two more runs in the sixth, though, on RBI singles by Damion Easley and Wright. The Reds had runners at the corners with one out in the eighth, but Dunn and Keppinger struck out to end the threat.

There was a bit of confusion in the ninth inning, as Reds backup catcher David Ross batted out of order, ahead of Corey Patterson in the No. 8 spot instead of No. 9. Ross flied out to right, and Mets manager Willie Randolph came out to tell the umpires of the mistake. After a 20-minute delay the umpires charged Ross' fly out to Patterson, and ordered Ross to bat again. This time he singled.

"It was correct on the board, it was just that the guys hit out of order, and that's my job to catch that," said Reds manager Dusty Baker.