Mark Vientos plays hero to spark Mets’ comeback win over Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mark Vientos went from breaking a bat in disgust to conquering hero in a span of two plate appearances Friday night.
It was Vientos raising his hand in celebration at second base in the eighth inning after his three-run double provided fuel for the Mets in their 8-3 comeback victory over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
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The Mets, who snapped a two-game skid, had only two hits entering the eighth but finally awoke from their slumber, loading the bases with nobody out.
Pete Alonso struck out — breaking his bat in disgust — before Vientos delivered his biggest hit in what has been a disappointing season.
Before his double to right field, Vientos had a 13-game RBI drought.
The Mets widened the gulf in the ninth on Francisco Lindor’s three-run homer.
Juan Soto followed with his 22nd homer of the season.
It marked the sixth time this season the Mets hit back-to-back homers.
Vientos figures to receive most of the DH at-bats with Starling Marte and Jesse Winker on the injured list.
He began the night with a .617 OPS, hardly a number the Mets would have expected after his emergence last season.
Five innings before his go-ahead double, Vientos struck out on three pitches to leave the bases loaded.
Frustrated, he slammed his bat, breaking it at the handle.
Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a punch that threatened to crush the Mets, blasting a two-run homer against Huascar Brazobán that gave the Royals a 3-1 lead in the seventh.
Brazobán threw a first-pitch, 97 mph fastball that Witt launched beyond the fence in left-center.
A day earlier, in the first game of a doubleheader, Ryne Stanek allowed an eighth-inning blast to Gunnar Henderson that helped sink the Mets.
Kodai Senga, in his return from the injured list, pitched four shutout innings in which he allowed four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
The right-hander, whose ERA dropped to 1.39, was removed after 67 pitches — in his first start for the Mets since June 12, when he strained his right hamstring covering first base.
Alonso worked his at-bat to eight pitches before drawing a bases-loaded walk in the third inning that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
But the rally died on a three-pitch strikeout of Vientos. Luis Torrens singled leading off the inning, Brandon Nimmo walked and Lindor’s single with one out loaded the bases before Soto struck out ahead of Alonso.
Senga allowed two singles in the bottom of the frame before striking out Jac Caglianone to end the threat.
Senga walked two batters with two outs the previous inning before retiring Jonathan India.
The Royals also threatened in the first, with Witt’s double placing runners on second and third with nobody out before Senga retired the next three hitters, which included strikeouts of Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez.
Senga may have caught a break after he snagged Maikel Garcia’s comebacker for the second out.
Senga fired to third in an attempt to nail India, but the ball hit India and bounded into foul territory.
India might have scored except that he was shaken up (the throw hit his hand as he was diving back into third base; he didn’t arise and attempt to run).
Nick Loftin’s bloop double against Alex Carrillo that just eluded the diving Nimmo tied it 1-1 in the sixth.
Carrillo struck out John Rave to keep the go-ahead run stranded at second.
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