Recap: Cincinnati vs. NY Mets

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Rookie Matt Harvey pitched 7 2/3 stellar innings and added a two-run double, as the New York Mets avoided a three-game sweep with an 8-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

Harvey (2-3), who made his major league debut on July 26, took a perfect game into the fifth. In all, the 23-year-old righty was charged with one run on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. He now has 34 Ks in five career starts.

"I knew it was going to be a tough lineup. I just wanted to go out and not so much worry about who I was facing, as much as where the call was, where the pitch was supposed to go and try and execute as best I could," said Harvey.

Ike Davis homered and drove in a pair while Jason Bay hit a solo shot for the Mets, who scored just one run over the first two games of the series.

Homer Bailey (10-8) took the loss, allowing six runs -- four earned -- on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six.

"Physically I feel great. I have no excuses. I'm just not making pitches as consistently as I need to," said Bailey.

Jay Bruce had a seventh-inning RBI double and Ryan Ludwick homered during a three-run ninth for the Reds, who saw their five-game win streak come to an end. They still lead the NL Central by six games.

Entering Thursday, Cincinnati had given up just one run over a 34-inning stretch, but New York used a pair of three-run frames to secure its third win in the last 10 games.

Davis led off the fourth with his 21st homer of the year before a two-out single by Bay and an intentional walk to Kelly Shoppach set up Harvey's blast to the wall in left-center field, which made it 3-0.

In the sixth, Bay belted a one-out homer to right and Shoppach reached on an error by third baseman Scott Rolen. Harvey moved Shoppach up with a sacrifice bunt and Ruben Tejada followed with an RBI double. Mike Baxter then singled home Tejada for a 6-0 lead.

Harvey, who had lost three straight starts after winning his debut, hit Ludwick with a pitch to begin the fifth inning. Rolen followed with a two-out infield single to break up the no-hitter, but Devin Mesoraco grounded out to end the threat.

Brandon Phillips led off the seventh with a double and crossed the plate on Bruce's two-bagger down the right-field line.

Davis tacked on an RBI double in the ninth and scored later in the frame when shortstop Zack Cozart couldn't handle a sharp grounder from Justin Turner.

In the bottom half, Frank Francisco gave up a leadoff homer to Ludwick, an RBI single to Miguel Cairo and a run-scoring double to Cozart before Jon Rauch struck out Wilson Valdez to secure his third save of the season.