The New York Mets used a five-run fifth inning to pull away from the Kansas City Royals for a 7-3 victory Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, clinching the three-game series. New York erased an early deficit with its biggest offensive inning of the day while Sean Manaea turned in his longest outing of the season, helping the Mets build momentum heading into their weekend series.
Kansas City grabbed an immediate lead when Lane Thomas opened the game with a leadoff home run, and Bobby Witt Jr. added another solo shot in the fourth to put the Royals ahead 2-1. Manaea recovered nicely after each mistake, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits over seven innings while striking out six and walking one. He became more efficient as the afternoon progressed, completing seven innings for the first time this season.
The Mets broke the game open in the fifth against Michael Wacha. Tyrone Taylor led off with a game-tying homer before Brett Baty, A.J. Ewing, Bo Bichette, Carson Benge, Francisco Alvarez and Jared Young all contributed during a six-hit rally that produced five runs. Benge delivered a two-run single, Alvarez added an RBI single and Young capped the inning with an RBI double as New York batted around. Juan Soto provided insurance in the seventh with a towering 435-foot home run to right-center, while Devin Williams worked a scoreless ninth to finish the win.
Mark Vientos exited before the third inning after being hit on the hand by a pitch, forcing Ewing to shift from center field to second base. It was later determined that Vientos suffered a broken hand.
The Mets open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday at Citi Field, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Nolan McLean is expected to start for New York against Boston’s Sonny Gray.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.