QUEENS, N.Y. — Four walks and an infield single allowed the New York Mets to scratch a pair of runs across in the bottom of the eighth inning and secure a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
After Royals reliever Chris Stratton walked the bases loaded, Harrison Bader hit a little dribbler up the third-base line that he beat out for an infield single to put the Mets ahead. Brandon Nimmo then walked on four pitches to add an important insurance run.
“Just the way we controlled the strike zone, this is something we’ve been doing as a team the past week or so,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re creating those opportunities, we’re getting on-base, we’re not chasing especially when the pitcher is in trouble… It was good to see that.”
Edwin Diaz secured his third save of the season despite allowing a solo home run to Vinny Pasquantino with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the Mets took two of three from the Royals and secured their third successive series win. After starting the year 0-5, the Mets (7-8) have won seven of their last 10 games.
It was only fitting that on Dwight Gooden’s jersey retirement day, a pitcher’s duel broke out. Mets starter Jose Butto shined once again in his second outing of the 2024 season, going six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and a walk with nine strikeouts.
Five of them came in the first two innings — all of them coming on the changeup and all of those Royals going down swinging.
“It felt really good,” Butto said. “I got a couple of strikeouts there… I feel really good now because I’ve gotten more comfortable with all of my pitches.”
His opposite number, Royals starter Cole Ragan, proved just as mystifying for Mets bats, going six scoreless innings of his own while striking out eight.
Butto’s biggest trouble came in the second inning when he yielded a lead-off double to Kansas City star catcher Salvador Perez, but he struck out two on his way to getting out of the jam.
Bobby Witt Jr. had the only other hit off the Mets’ starter when he pulled a two-out double down the line in the sixth inning. He would advance no further as Vinny Pasquantino lined out to short to end the inning.
“[Butto] was in complete control,” Mendoza said. “He attacked hitters but when he got behind in counts, he was able to pitch backwards… What a great outing.”
The Mets were unable to scratch the game’s first run across in the fourth inning despite lead-off hits from Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor putting runners at second and third. Pete Alonso popped out to catcher Salvador Perez and Tyrone Taylor’s liner to left was caught by MJ Melendez, who rifled a throw home to pick off Marte at the plate for an inning-ending double play.
Marte’s collision with Perez at the plate forced the Royals’ catcher to leave the game with a hip/groin injury. He will be reevaluated on Monday, per the team.
New York generated another rally in the seventh off reliever John Schreiber, loading the bases with two outs, only for Lindor to pop out to first in foul territory on the first pitch he saw.
Alonso led off the pivotal eighth inning with a walk before Stratton got Taylor to fly out and Francisco Alvarez to ground out for two quick outs. Jeff McNeil and Brett Baty worked walks to load the bases for Bader’s go-ahead trickle.
“I thought that was gonna hit the wall,” Bader said jokingly. “I thought I had it [beaten out when it left the bat]… That was just a fortunate play. The play went in our favor, which I like. We create our own luck in this field and in this game, so that one worked out for us and I’m very happy it did.”
