NEW YORK -- Alfredo Simon making his first start in more than two years. Manny Parra stepping into the closers spot. Turns out, all the Cincinnati Reds needed for a win in New York was a little role reversal. Simon pitched seven impressive innings and began the go-ahead rally with his second career hit and Parra got the final six outs for his first career save, helping the Reds beat the Mets 2-1 Sunday to salvage a win in the three-game series. "At the end of the game I didnt even really know what to do," Parra said. "It was awesome." Joey Votto had a sacrifice fly and Ryan Ludwick a tiebreaking single off Jonathon Niese (0-1), who was making his first start of the season after a being slowed by shoulder and elbow injuries this spring. Simon (1-0) made 99 relief appearances for the Reds since his previous start, on Sept. 28, 2011, for Baltimore, but manager Bryan Price tapped the right-hander because Mat Latos is rehabbing from knee and elbow operations. Price said Simon is one of the most durable guys on the staff and had no problem letting him go deep into the game. He lifted Simon for the left-handed Parra to start the eighth after allowing just four hits and throwing 79 pitches. "I was thinking I was a starter before and this is a good opportunity for me, and I tried to show the best I can," Simon said after his 20th career start. "Everything worked." Parra made 74 starts for the Brewers before switching to relief work in 2010. He retired all six batters he faced, pitching the ninth instead of J.J. Hoover, who gave up Ike Davis walkoff grand slam Saturday. Parra struck out Davis to end the Reds second win of the season then stood atop the mound for a moment before pounding his glove and walking toward catcher Brayan Pena. "Cant ask for any more for Simon and Manny Parra," Price said. Niese was nearly as effective in his debut, allowing six hits and two runs in 5 2-3 innings in front of dozens of dogs at Citi Field on Bark in the Park day. "I feel good, felt like the ball was coming out of my hand pretty well, obviously didnt have any pain," Niese said. The Mets, though, wasted an opportunity to complete a sweep ahead of a nine-game road trip that begins in Atlanta on Tuesday. The Mets finished their first homestand of the season 2-4. Simon took the mound in a game for the first time since March 24 but there was little rust. After an easy first for Simon, Davis slashed a sharp one-out grounder the opposite way down the third base line, a spot vacated by the pull shift, for a double. Davis scored on Juan Lagares single for a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Simon walked Niese and Eric Young Jr. doubled to left-centre with one out. But Daniel Murphy and David Wright struck out, starting a run of 10 in a row that ended when Simon hit Wright with a pitch. Simon started the Reds go-ahead rally in the sixth by lacing a line drive over Murphys head. Chris Heisey, in the lineup for Billy Hamilton, who has a jammed left middle finger, and Brandon Phillips each singled to load the bases. Votto followed with a sacrifice fly and Ludwick the tiebreaking hit, a single to left for a 2-1 lead. "The way he kept his sinker down and the fact he got a base hit, it was very exciting," Pena said of Simon. "He got us going." Jay Bruce grounded to first base, ending Nieses day on his 90th pitch. Gonzalez Germen relieved and pitched around Todd Frazier to face Zack Cosart with the bases loaded. Cosart grounded out to extend his hitless start to 0 for 18. Cosart then flew out to right field in the ninth. NOTES: Simon singled last season against Pittsburgh. ... Phillips has a hit in all 29 games hes played against the Mets in New York. ... Reds CF Billy Hamilton did not start for second straight day because of a jammed left middle finger. He thinks hell be able to play Monday at St. Louis. ... Mets INF Wilmer Flores was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Niese. ... Mets manager Terry Collins said hes sticking to the plan to have Lucas Duda serve as starting first baseman. ... Reds reliever Jonathan Broxton pitched the second of back-to-back outings for Double-A Pensacola. He gave up a hit in a scoreless inning Saturday night. ... Price said C Devin Mesoraco (strained oblique) is set to meet the team in St. Louis. Bobby Ryan Jersey .ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks. Moving up, from 10 to seven this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won seven straight despite a depleted lineup. Mark Borowiecki Jersey . -- Craig Anderson has quite a record against his former team, the Florida Panthers. http://www.senatorssale.com/authentic-jason-spezza-senators-jersey/ . Mark Van Guilder, Austin Watson and Colton Sissons also scored for the Admirals (22-13-10), who are 2-0-2 in their last four outings, while Roussel tacked on an assist for a two-point night. Greg Pateryn scored once for the Bulldogs (20-22-4), who lost their fifth straight contest, and also assisted on Gabriel Dumonts goal. Chris Tierney Jersey . Showing more spark after not taking enough challenging shots on goal in their 1-0 loss Friday night, the Bruins had 18 shots in the first period after managing just 25 in the entire opener. Luke Glendening cut Bostons lead to 2-1 at 13:20 of the second period before Milan Lucic scored late in the second and Zdeno Chara added a power-play goal early in the third. Craig Anderson Jersey . Which is to say, the top of this years draft class is not as dynamic or exciting as the 2013 class of Nate MacKinnon, Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones and its not as strikingly promising as the highly-anticipated 2015 slate of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin.LAKELAND, Fla. -- Detroit shortstop Jose Iglesias says he has stress fractures in both legs and isnt sure when hell be able to play again, leaving the Tigers two weeks to fill his spot for opening day and perhaps a lot longer. "Its bad news for me and bad news for the team as well," Iglesias told Tigers reporters before Mondays exhibition against Washington was rained out. The 24-year-old Iglesias is set to see a specialist in Colorado on Tuesday. After that, hell have a better idea on his future status. The smooth-fielding Iglesias played through pain in his shins last year while hitting .303 for Boston and Detroit. He said he intends to return this season to the three-time AL Central champion Tigers. "Absolutely," he said. "But for now, my goal is to get healthy, get rid of this, because the pain is really bad. I just want to get rid of it and come back 100 per cent." Minus Iglesias, the Tigers might pick from among three players already in camp to be their shortstop -- Danny Worth, Hernan Perez and Eugenio Suarez. Free agent shortstop Stephen Drew also is available, and Seattle infielder Nick Franklin could be a possible trade target. New Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he wouldnt dwell on Iglesias absence. "You take the 25 players that are starting the season and try to find a way to win on a daily basis," he said. "You dont bury your face in your hands crying about what could have been. Its counterproductive." Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said Sunday that Iglesias will begin the season on the disabled list.dddddddddddd The Tigers open on March 31 at home against Kansas City. The Tigers acquired Iglesias during last July from Boston in a three-team trade. He occasionally missed games while dealing with shin splints that hurt him while running, and hoped he would feel better this spring. But Ausmus said he spotted something was off with Iglesias in the Tigers exhibition opener on Feb. 26. Iglesias hasnt played since then and saw a specialist last week. Iglesias said he had "small fractures" in both legs. While disappointed at the diagnosis, he added, "at the end of the day, its good as well, because I know whats going on now. Its something that Ive got to deal with, but something that will go away with time." "I was able to play through it last year, but thats not going to happen this year," he said. NOTES: Ausmus said RHP Justin Verlander will pitch on opening day against the Royals. It will be his seventh straight year to start the opener. Verlander had core muscle repair surgery in January, a month after hurting himself while conditioning. Ausmus acknowledged that it was tough choice between Verlander and reigning AL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. ... RHP Anibal Sanchez was scratched from Mondays start even before the game was rained out. Trainer Kevin Rand said Sanchez had some inflammation in his shoulder, but expected him to be OK for his next scheduled start. ' ' '