NEW YORK (AP) — Jared Young was plunked with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, sparking a five-run rally that lifted the New York Mets to a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Young took a 90 mph slider off his right elbow by Alex Lange (0-4), who allowed five straight baserunners with two outs. Brett Baty chased Lange with a two-run single and Young scored on a wild pitch by Jose Cuas, who then allowed an RBI single to Francisco
Alvarez.
Brooks Raley (3-3) worked around Lane Thomas’ double in the eighth.
Rookie A.J. Ewing hit his first career leadoff homer, a 420-foot blast off opener Steven Cruz. Ewing is the fifth Mets player to hit a leadoff homer this season.
Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen had RBI singles for the Royals.
Right fielder Tyler Tolbert went 0 for 3 one night after he finished 5 for 6 and tied the major league record with hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances. But the 28-year-old robbed Francisco Lindor of an RBI extra-base hit with a crashing catch into the wall to end the third.
Cruz struck out two in one inning. Randy Dobnak followed by allowing three hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings — the longest scoreless outing by a Kansas City reliever since Mike Mayers tossed six scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 29, 2023.
Mets starter Christian Scott allowed three hits and struck out five in five scoreless innings.
The teams combined for 17 hits one night after they had 32 as the Royals overcame a five-run deficit in a 16-12 win.
Royals RHP Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.45 ERA) opposes Mets LHP Sean Manaea (1-4, 5.16 ERA) in the series finale Thursday.
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