CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jacob deGrom pitched six sharp innings and the New York Mets, playing a makeshift lineup a day after clinching the NL East title, finished off a season sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with an 8-1 victory Sunday.
DeGrom (14-8) gave up one run and five hits, striking out nine without a walk. He also got two hits and drove in two runs.
Dilson Herrera and Kevin Plawecki hit rare home runs as the Mets enjoyed their first full day as division champions. At 89-67, New York is trying to stay ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (87-67) for homefield advantage in their likely Division Series matchup.
Despite giving all of their regulars the day off, the Mets completed the first season sweep by either team since New York started play in 1962, going 7-0 against Cincinnati. They outscored the Reds 36-12 in these four games at Great American Ball Park and extended their franchise-record road winning streak to 11.
Keyvius Sampson (2-6) lost his fifth straight start, allowing five runs - three earned - and nine hits in 2 2-3 innings. Last-place Cincinnati has lost eight in a row, one shy of its season high.
Herrera's two-run homer in the second was his third of the season and first in 38 at bats since June 14. Plawecki's solo shot in the sixth was his third of the season and first in 164 at bats since May 16.
DeGrom retired 14 straight batters between Skip Schumaker's first inning, leadoff double, which glanced off the glove of left fielder Michael Conforto, and Eugenio Suarez's two-out single in the fifth.
Consecutive singles by Schumaker, Ivan De Jesus Jr. and Joey Votto broke up deGrom's shutout bid in the sixth. Votto has reached base at least once in 44 consecutive games.
New York scored a pair of unearned runs in the fifth when De Jesus Jr. dropped deGrom's routine fly ball to left field.
TRAINER'S ROOM
INF/OF Kristopher Negron, who sustained a season-ending shoulder injury on Sept. was transferred to the 60-day DL when Cincinnati claimed OF Tyler Holt off waivers from Cleveland.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati travels to Washington for the makeup of a game postponed on July 8 by the possibility of a storm that never developed. LHP Brandon Finnegan (1-1) will make his third career big league start.
