CINCINNATI -- When the New York Mets arrived at their hotel at approximately 4 a.m. on Monday morning, shortstop Matt Reynolds still was on an airplane.

After a cross-country jaunt which took him from Salt Lake City to Boston to Cincinnati, Reynolds managed to get barely an hour of sleep.

"I had one cup of coffee," Reynolds said. "I got to the hotel about 9:15 (a.m.), laid in bed for a while then came to the park."

Reynolds and Kelly Johnson each homered and Bartolo Colon pitched six shutout innings, lifting bleary-eyed New York to a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

"Second time he's been on a red-eye and hit a homer," manager Terry Collins said, of Reynolds. "So we're going to keep him on a red-eye. Even though he had a tough flight, he was excited to play and he had a big hit".

It's the 11th shutout win this season for New York.

Reynolds' teammates also overcame a miserable travel day. The Mets beat the Nationals in a nationally televised game Sunday night that didn't end until well after 11 p.m. As a result, Collins chose to rest several regulars, including Curtis Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes.

Jay Bruce went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his first game in Cincinnati since being traded to the Mets in July. He received a standing ovation from fans in right field in the first inning and was well-received prior to each of his at-bats.

"It was a bit odd, coming over to the visiting side for the first time," Bruce said. "The Reds took a lot of time out to welcome me back. That was really nice. It's what I came to expect from the organization. Definitely odd being on the other side, but once the first pitch is thrown, it's just baseball".

Colon (13-7) allowed only five hits over his six innings. He managed to avoid the travel nightmares by arriving in Cincinnati ahead of the team on Sunday afternoon.

"Never had any pressure at all," Colon said. "I knew a lot of the veterans were getting a day off today. Getting ahead of the hitters was key for me."

Reynolds, who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to Monday's game, went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.

"It's everything I can ask for," Reynolds said. "I just want to help the team win. Just so happened I had a couple big hits."

Reds rookie right-hander Robert Stephenson, making his third major league start, struck out four through two innings, including three straight in the second.

Reynolds crushed a solo homer to the opposite field on a 2-1 pitch in the third innings to put the Mets ahead 1-0. It was Reynolds' third homer this season.

Cincinnati had runners on first and second with no outs in the third, but Colon retired the next three batters in succession.

"We had a man on the mound today," said Collins. "Nothing fazes him. Gave us what he always does, quality innings. He's an amazing guy. Every fifth day, he takes the baseball. We don't have to worry about pitch counts with him."

Wilmer Flores was retired twice while trying for the extra base, both times on throws from left fielder Adam Duvall.

In the first inning, Flores was thrown out at second following a single. In the fourth, he was retired at third after doubling into the left-field corner.

Duvall became the first Reds player since Jay Bruce in 2014 to have two outfield assists in a game.

Johnson went deep on a 2-1 pitch from Stephenson (2-1) to make the score 2-0 leading off the fifth, his 10th homer this season.

"The first one wasn't too bad, belt high on the outside corner. The second one was in the middle of the plate. I just missed my spot," said Stephenson of the homers.

Cincinnati wasted Hernan Iribarren's first career triple leading off the sixth. But, Colon again set down three straight to keep the shutout intact.

"Colon was rolling pretty good," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "Sometimes, you have to tip your hat to the pitcher. He did a great job. You saw a real masterful pitcher pitch a great game."

NOTES: The Mets recalled INF Matt Reynolds from Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday. He started at shortstop and batted eighth. ... Reds 2B Brandon Phillips returned to the lineup Monday after missing two games with a sore left foot. ... Reds CF Billy Hamilton who left Sunday's game with a strained left oblique, underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. ... Mets RF Jay Bruce, with his wife Hannah, was honored by the Reds during a pregame ceremony recognizing his nine seasons with the club.