Reds 4, Mets 3: Jay Bruce homered and drove in a pair while Johnny Cueto was strong in his first outing in more than a month as visiting Cincinnati edged New York.

Brandon Phillips added a two-run single for the Reds, who have won eight of their last 10 games. Cueto (2-0) was activated off the disabled list and overcame a shaky start to strike out six of the last eight batters he faced while yielding three runs, three hits and striking out eight in five innings.

Marlon Byrd provided the offense with a three-run homer as the Mets dropped their fourth straight home game. Shaun Marcum (0-5) struck out a season-high seven but was charged with four runs and six hits in six innings to suffer the loss.

Cincinnati pounced on Marcum with three runs in the first inning as Phillips singled in a pair and came home on Bruce’s double to right-center. New York got those runs back on one swing in the third when Byrd came up with two on and lined a first-pitch slider into the stands in left.

Bruce led off the sixth and pulled Marcum’s first pitch down the line in right for his third home run in four games and sixth overall. Four relievers bridged the gap to Aroldis Chapman, who bounced back from two straight blown opportunities by striking out a pair in a perfect ninth to earn his ninth save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Reds 1B Joey Votto went 2-for-4 with a run scored in his fourth straight multi-hit game. He has hit safely in nine straight overall while batting .514. … Mets 1B Ike Davis went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and is 1-for-33 over his last nine contests, dropping his season average to .152. … New York signed veteran RHP David Aardsma to a minor-league contract. Aardsma has made one major-league appearance since 2010 due to arm surgery.