NEW YORK -- Both New York Mets manager Terry Collins and general manager Sandy Alderson expressed hope Friday afternoon that the 10 hits the Mets collected Thursday in a win over the Milwaukee Brewers would signify the start of an offensive rebirth.

It didn't. But thanks to rookie right-hander Noah Syndergaard, two hits were enough for the Mets on Friday night.

Syndergaard scattered five hits over a career-high eight innings, and the Mets made the most of their two hits in a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field.

Right fielder Curtis Granderson led off the game with a homer for the Mets (38-37), who scored the winning run in the fifth when second baseman Dilson Herrera tripled with two outs before Granderson, third baseman Eric Campbell and first baseman Lucas Duda all coaxed walks out of Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto.

"We're going to need more than that, probably, on a nightly basis," Collins said afterward. "But tonight, with as well as that kid pitched, two sufficed."

Syndergaard, making his ninth career start, walked none and struck out five while throwing just 89 pitches, including 65 strikes. He threw a first-pitch strike to 22 of the 28 batters he faced, including nine in a row between the fourth and sixth innings.

"Look up, 70 pitches, eighth inning – very, very good outing," Collins said. "Today, strike one on a lot of guys. Used his breaking ball early in the counts, got ahead and made them hit his pitches, I mean, you couldn't have told me that was a 22-year-old kid out there today. He pitched an outstanding game."

Syndergaard (3-4) set the economical tone in the first inning, when he threw just six pitches in setting the Reds down in order. After striking out second baseman Brandon Phillips, Syndergaard ended the inning by inducing first-pitch outs from first baseman Joey Votto and third baseman Todd Frazier.

"I had everything working for me," Syndergaard said. "I was just able to make quality pitches and execute and get some quick outs. I knew this team was going to be a fairly aggressive lineup -- a lot of veterans on the team -- so I knew they would capitalize on my mistakes."

He didn't make very many. The Reds scratched out their lone run in the second, when right fielder Jay Bruce and catcher Brayan Pena opened the inning with singles. Bruce went to third when Pena was forced on a grounder to short by shortstop Eugenio Suarez and scored on a groundout to short by left fielder Chris Dominguez.

Beginning with the Dominguez groundout, Syndergaard retired 19 of the final 22 batters he faced. He stranded a runner at third in the third inning, when Phillips singled and stole second and third, and in the eighth inning, when Dominguez singled and advanced to third on two groundouts.

"That's an exciting presence in the starting rotation there, just from a size and velocity perspective," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "But more impressive than anything was how he attacked the strike zone. He went after our lineup with good, quality, located fastballs and breaking balls and threw enough off-speed stuff to keep us off-balance."

Right-hander Jeurys Familia picked up his 21st save with a perfect ninth. Collins said he likely would have let Syndergaard pursue the complete game if the Mets had a larger lead.

"Fourth time through the lineup, I think he was done," Collins said, "Had it been 4-1, he goes out there (and) starts the inning."

Cueto, who was starting for the first time in nine days, fell to 4-5 after allowing two runs and two hits while walking three and striking out six. The three walks tied a season high for Cueto, who walked Granderson on five pitches before getting ahead of Campbell 1-2 and Duda 0-2.

"I think he was trying to find his way out of that inning without the ball being put in play and he just wasn't able to make the pitch he needed to," Price said.

Votto finished 0-for-4 for the Reds (34-38) as his streak of reaching base safely ended at 32 games.

NOTES: Before the game, a moment of silence was held for former Mets co-owner Nelson Doubleday Jr. and former Mets outfielder Darryl Hamilton. Doubleday died of pneumonia at age 81 on June 17. Hamilton was killed in a murder-suicide on Sunday. ... Mets general manager Sandy Alderson confirmed that LHP Steven Matz will be recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to start Sunday's series finale and the Mets will go with a six-man rotation after his promotion. ... The Reds played a 13-inning, rain-delayed game in Pittsburgh on Thursday night and didn't arrive at their hotel until 4:17 a.m. ET Friday. ... Reds RHP Johnny Cueto batted eighth. It was the 24th time in the last 29 games that the Reds' starting pitcher has batted eighth. ... The ceremonial first pitches were thrown out by the New York Knicks' two first-round draft picks, Jerian Grant and Kris Porzingis.