Mets drop first-half finale to Royals on walk-off after rally

The Mets completed their first half of the 2025 season Sunday with a 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on a walk-off single by Nick Loftin after rallying to tie the game in the top of the inning. With a 55-42 record, they enter the all-star break half a game behind the 55-41 Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the National League East after the Phillies beat the San Diego Padres 2-1.

After being shut out through the first eight innings and trailing 2-0, the Mets rallied to tie the game against all-star closer Carlos Estevez. Ronny Mauricio led off the 9th with a double, followed by a pinch-hit RBI triple from Jeff McNeil on a fly ball just out of reach of center fielder Kyle Isbel as he crashed into the wall. After Brett Baty grounded out while pinch-hitting for Luis Torrens, Jared Young, pinch-hitting for Luisangel Acuna, tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Piggybacking off of starter Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea impressed in his first appearance of the 2025 season, but was tagged with the loss after allowing the walk-off single to Loftin in the ninth inning following a one-out single to speedy outfielder Michael Tolbert, who then proceeded to steal second base. It was the lone run Manaea allowed over 3.1 innings, throwing 66 pitches. He let up five hits and had seven strikeouts, including striking out five batters in a row at one point, tying a career high.

Manaea re-signed with the Mets on a three-year, $75 million deal after a strong 2024 season with them. An oblique strain suffered in spring training, followed by a loose body in his elbow during his rehab, delayed Manaea’s season. The team will likely lean heavily on him in the second half of the season.

“It was really good to be back. The fastball and slider felt really good. It was great to feel healthy,” Manaea said. “Obviously, it sucks losing, but for me personally, it just feels good to be healthy and back on the mound.”

Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game that Loftin was going to be Manaea’s last batter regardless, as there was a pitch count of 60-65 pitches for him. While Manaea took the loss, Mendoza was very impressed with how well he pitched in his season debut.

“The way he was throwing the ball, it was pretty dominant,” Mendoza said. “A couple of singles there at the end, but I thought he was really good overall.”

Despite the fact that Manaea had not pitched in the majors since Game 6 of the 2024 NLCS, Mendoza felt he continued right where he left off.

“[He was] the typical Sean Manaea,” Mendoza said. “Fastball playing at the top of the zone. He was getting swings and misses. The sweep was really good. We saw that the whole [2024] year. It was good to see it again today.”

Clay Holmes went five innings, allowing two runs and five hits while striking out two, walking one, and hitting a batter. He was able to keep Royals’ superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. in check, inducing two double-play grounders from him in both at-bats. Witt had only grounded into one double play all season prior to Sunday.

John Rave’s two-run double in the second inning accounted for all the Royals’ offense in the game. Holmes was able to limit the damage that inning, thanks in large part to catcher Luis Torrens throwing out Rave trying to steal third. After allowing the two-run double, Holmes finished his day by retiring 11 of the next 14 Royals batters.

Royals standout rookie pitcher Noah Cameron kept the Mets’ bats quiet. He tied a career high with eight strikeouts over 6.2 scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 2.31. Cameron worked around seven hits and two walks in keeping the Mets off the board.

The Mets’ offense was unable to take advantage of early opportunities. After a misplayed flyball in the first inning resulted in a one-out triple for Mark Vientos, Juan Soto grounded out weakly to the drawn-in infield and, after Pete Alonso was intentionally walked, Brandon Nimmo fouled out on the first pitch. The team also left a man on in both the second and third innings, as well as two more in the fourth.

Overall, the Mets went 1-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. McNeil’s 9th inning triple accounted for the one hit with a runner in scoring position. Despite getting the leadoff man on in four of the seven innings that Cameron pitched in, they failed to score on him.

Hitting with runners in scoring position was an issue for the Mets throughout the whole first half. The team entered Sunday with a .230 average in those spots, ahead of only four other teams in the majors. Mendoza believes consistency has been the main problem for the team in these spots.

“We’ve been through some stretches where it’s hard for us, but we’ve been through some stretches where the offense is clicking,” Mendoza said. “It’s part of the season. We got good hitters. We got to give [the Royals pitching staff] credit over there too. That’s a good pitching staff over there. But overall, we’ve got a good offense. We just got to understand that at times, we’re going to have a hard time scoring. You got to continue to make adjustments and continue to work hard.”

This marks the ninth straight time that the Mets have lost the last game before the all-star break, with their last win occurring in 2015 (there was no all-star game in 2020).

While Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, and David Peterson will be taking part in the 2025 All-Star Game festivities in Atlanta, the Mets will likely be without one of their key relievers for the remainder of the season. Prior to Sunday’s game, Mendoza announced that reliever Max Kranick will be visiting orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister during the All-Star break. Tommy John surgery is being considered for the right-hander, who previously underwent the procedure in 2022.

Kranick was placed on the injured list with a flexor strain on June 19. While it was initially believed then that he would not need the procedure, now it appears it will be necessary. In 24 games this season, Kranick went 3-2 with a 3.65 ERA, a 1.054 WHIP, 25 strikeouts, and five walks across 37 innings.

The news about Kranick comes just a day after the Mets announced that another reliever, Dedniel Núñez, would also be undergoing Tommy John surgery for a second time.

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