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The Mets and Royals were locked in a pitcher’s duel into the late innings, but the Mets emerged on top thanks to a big seventh inning against the Royals bullpen. Both pitchers were cruising into the fourth, when the Royals struck first against Jacob deGrom, who hadn’t allowed a baserunner until that point.
deGrom walked Alex Gordon with one out and then allowed a single to Hunter Dozier. Pete Alonso then made another costly defensive miscue, allowing a bouncer by Jorge Soler to clank off his glove, scoring Gordon to put the Royals on the board. deGrom buckled down and induced a double play grounder off the bat of Cheslor Cuthbert.
The Mets managed to tie it off Jakob Junis in the fifth. Improbably, Juan Lagares and Aaron Altherr hit back-to-back singles. Amed Rosario then grounded into a double play, seemingly killing the rally. But Joe Panik delivered with the RBI single to tie the game.
The game remained knotted at one until the seventh when once again Lagares and Altherr reached base in back-to-back plate appearances. Lagares smacked a single up the middle and Altherr was hit in the helmet with a pitch, which forced Junis from the game. Jake Newberry faced one batter in Rosario and walked him to load the bases. J.D. Davis struck out swinging as a pinch hitter, but Pete Alonso came through with an RBI single up the middle to score two and put the Mets in front.
Lagares, capping off a big day at the plate, contributed an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI triple over the head of Dozier to score Luis Guillorme to make the score 4-1. Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless eighth and Seth Lugo locked it down in the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning to earn his third save of the season.
Full recap to follow.
GameThread Roll Call
Nice job by Kepler; his effort in the GameThread embiggens us all.
- Kepler: 124
- MetsFan4Decades: 118
- JR and the Off-Balance Shots: 102
- MookieTheCat: 91
- Knurk: 82
- Jets Mets Devils Nets 16: 60
- John Oldnrude: 59
- amazins8669: 47
- deegie: 44
- AnneInFlushing: 40