NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso homered and Luis Severino earned his first win for the New York Mets, who snapped Kansas City's seven-game winning streak Friday night with a 6-1 victory over the Royals.
Brett Baty hit a two-run double and the Mets scored all five of their runs off starter Michael Wacha with two outs. New York reached double digits in hits for the fourth consecutive game and has won six of eight following an 0-5 start.
“We are finding our footing. We are sticking with each other. We are playing the game the right way. We don’t have the team to go out there and roll through teams," shortstop Francisco Lindor said. "Now we are in a place where we are playing every inning the right way.”
Coming off a 7-0 homestand that marked the longest winning streak in the majors this season, the surprising Royals (9-5) were looking for their first eight-game winning streak since a nine-game run in July 2017.
Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, making their first visit to Citi Field since June 2016. The year before that, they clinched the club’s second World Series title there.
Severino (1-1) worked around four walks in five innings during his third start for the Mets, who signed him to a $13 million, one-year contract in December after the two-time All-Star spent his first eight seasons across town with the Yankees.
“He just kept us on the end of the bat. We didn’t square a whole lot up,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “We had a couple opportunities with the walks, when he lost the zone a little bit, but we just didn’t capitalize.”
The only hit Severino gave up was a 433-foot leadoff homer by Perez in the second. The right-hander struck out four, including young star Bobby Witt Jr. with two runners aboard to end a 27-pitch fifth that began with a 12-pitch walk to Adam Frazier.
“Just get ahead in the count in a big situation. He's a great hitter,” Severino said. “Get ahead in the count and throw a good pitch to finish.”
Four relievers completed the three-hitter.
Jeff McNeil had three of New York's 14 hits, one day after the Mets pilled up 16 in a 16-4 blowout at Atlanta.
“I think as a team, we're winning ballgames and our confidence is growing. I feel like we're all meshing together, and we're playing well," Baty said.
Harrison Bader singled against Wacha (1-1) with two outs in the third and stole second before scoring on Brandon Nimmo's double.
New York hit four straight two-out singles in the fourth, with McNeil and DJ Stewart driving in runs. Baty's double just over center fielder Kyle Isbel's head made it 5-1 in the fifth.
“It's always good when you can have offensive games like that,” McNeil said. “Just grinded out at-bats.”
Wacha gave up 10 hits and two walks in six innings. Alonso launched his fourth homer on an 0-2 pitch from Will Smith leading off the eighth.
“They got some big two-out hits. You know, those are backbreaking at times, especially when they’re two-strike, two-out hits," Quatraro said. “But if you put up one run, it’s going to be tough to win.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: INF Michael Massey (low back strain) had a scheduled day off on his minor league rehab assignment after playing the previous two days. He is expected back in the lineup Saturday with Triple-A Omaha.
Mets: DH J.D. Martinez was still resting to allow an injection to take effect and hopefully will begin moving around again Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza said. The 36-year-old Martinez was given a shot Tuesday to address lower back tightness that has delayed his season debut. The veteran slugger has been working out and playing at the team’s facility in Florida since signing a $12 million, one-year contract on March 23. ... Rookie RHP Jose Buttó will be recalled from the minors to start the series finale Sunday.
UP NEXT
Mets LHP Sean Manaea (1-0, 0.82 ERA) pitches the middle game of the series Saturday against RHP Alec Marsh (1-0, 3.09). Manaea has struck out 14 and permitted just four hits over 11 innings in his first two starts for the Mets.