Mets Lose To Royals 3-2 After Ninth Inning Rally Comes Up Short To Conclude First Half of Season

 

Mets CF Tyrone Taylor (Photo Credits to SNY.TV)

The New York Mets lost to the Kansas City Royals 3-2 this afternoon at Kaufman Stadium and took two out of three games in the series to finish up with a first half record of 55-42.

RHP Clay Holmes had a scoreless bottom of the first, but then ran into trouble in the bottom of the second.

Holmes gave up a lead-off double to 3B Maikel Garcia and then hit catcher Salvador Perez with a hit by pitch.

Two batters later, Holmes gave up a two-run double to LF John Rave.

Holmes was able to settle down after that with scoreless innings in the bottom of the third, fourth and fifth and was taken out after the inning.

His final line was five innings, five innings, two runs, one walk and two strikeouts.

LHP Sean Manaea made his season debut in the bottom of the sixth and had a fine first outing with a scoreless bottom of the sixth and then struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh.

Manaea had a scoreless bottom of the eighth and then in the bottom of the ninth, after a strikeout, gave up a one-out single and stolen base to RF Tyler Tolbert and then a walk-off single to pinch-hitter Nick Loftin.

The Met offense was held scoreless for the first eight innings and then came alive in the top of the ninth.

3B Ronny Mauricio led off with a double and then 3B Jeff McNeil followed with a RBI triple.

Two batters later, pinch-hitter Jarred Young drove in McNeil with a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

The Mets are now off for the next four days for the All-Star break and return back to action in the second half of the season on Friday, July 18 at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 7:10 p.m.