The New York Mets squandered an explosive offensive performance Tuesday night, falling 16-12 to the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field after a seven-run seventh inning turned the game on its head. The loss marked just the second time in franchise history that the Mets lost a game after scoring at least 12 runs, dropping the opener of the three-game series.
New York wasted no time jumping ahead, scoring three runs in the first inning on a chaotic sequence that featured three Kansas City errors, including a Little League home run by Carson Benge. The Mets continued to produce at the plate, collecting four extra-base hits as Benge recorded his first career four-hit game. A.J. Ewing homered and added four hits of his own, Juan Soto also went deep and Jorge Polanco contributed an RBI double.
But the offense was overshadowed by a pitching staff that couldn’t protect multiple leads. Kodai Senga allowed four runs over three innings in relief after Cionel Perez opened with a scoreless first, Austin Warren surrendered five runs without recording an out and Matt Seelinger was charged with all seven runs during Kansas City’s decisive seventh inning in his major league debut.
Tyler Tolbert led the Royals’ relentless attack with five hits, extending his streak to 12 consecutive hits across 12 at-bats to tie a major league record.
The Mets will try to even the series Wednesday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Right-hander Christian Scott is expected to start for New York, while Kansas City has yet to announce its starting pitcher.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.