Mets Explode in 8th to Dispatch Royals, Lange’s Meltdown Decides It

A.J. Ewing launched a solo shot into the humid Queens night air in the first inning, and that should have been everyone’s first clue that Wednesday’s matchup at Citi Field belonged to the Mets. The New York offense, which had been sputtering through the dog days of summer, finally showed signs of life by putting together the kind of eighth-inning barrage that actually wins ballgames in July. Kansas City left town with a 6-2 loss, courtesy of a bullpen implosion that made you wonder if the Royals’ pitching coach even showed up to the ballpark.

Ewing’s first-inning blast set the tone immediately, a no-nonsense statement that the Mets weren’t interested in grinding through another low-scoring affair. But Kansas City hung around long enough to make things interesting, with Salvador Perez delivering an RBI single in the sixth to plate Jac Caglianone and keep the Royals within striking distance at 1-0.

Then came the eighth inning, and it was here that Alex Lange essentially gift-wrapped the game to the Mets. Lange lasted just two-thirds of an inning, surrendering three hits and five earned runs without recording a single strikeout. It was a catastrophic display of pitching mechanics and command that epitomized everything that goes wrong when a relief arm simply doesn’t have it on a particular evening. Brooks Raley came in for the Mets and did his job cleanly, earning the win with a scoreless frame. Sometimes winning baseball is that simple: one team’s guy has it, the other’s doesn’t.

The Eighth-Inning Onslaught

The damage in the eighth was relentless and methodical. A hit-by-pitch on Jared Young brought Francisco Lindor around to score. Then Brett Baty stepped up and delivered a line drive single to center that plated two more runs. Francisco Alvarez followed with another single that made it 5-1 Mets. When you’re getting contributions up and down the lineup like that, you’re going to win ballgames. The Mets finally showed the offensive firepower that a roster with Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor should theoretically possess on a nightly basis.

Kansas City’s Futile Late Push

The Royals added a consolation run in the ninth when Carter Jensen doubled home Josh Rojas, but by that point the game was already decided. Kansas City managed just two runs across nine innings, hardly the kind of offensive output that puts pressure on a defending team. Bobby Witt Jr. had a single in the first, but beyond that, the Royals’ lineup looked overmatched against a Mets staff that, when it matters, can execute.

What we learned Wednesday night is that the Mets still have enough firepower to put together explosive innings when the pitching cooperates. The Royals, meanwhile, left town wondering how they managed to lose a game where they weren’t thoroughly dominated through six innings. Sometimes baseball punishes you for hanging around instead of putting teams away early. That’s exactly what happened here, and Kansas City will be thinking about those missed opportunities for a long time.