Going into the All-Star break with momentum will be vital for the New York Mets, who have righted the ship following a 12-15 record in June.
The Mets will look for a second straight win and a series victory Saturday afternoon against the host Kansas City Royals, who don’t want to be streaking in the wrong direction headed into the break.
After being swept in a doubleheader at Baltimore on Thursday, New York registered just two hits while trailing 3-1 after seven innings at Kansas City on Friday. Then Mark Vientos, who entered 4-for-34 in 10 games since returning from a hamstring injury, laced a three-run double to put the Mets ahead 4-3. Francisco Lindor added a three-run insurance homer in the ninth, and Juan Soto followed with a solo shot as New York won for the sixth time in nine games.
“I don’t care how bad I’m feeling at the plate, I want to be up there (in that situation),” Vientos told SNY. “It felt good to (do that) for the team.”
Bobby Witt Jr. gave Kansas City that two-run lead with a two-run homer in the seventh Friday and is batting .397 with four home runs and 14s RBI during a 14-game hitting streak. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Royals, who had won six of their previous seven contests.
Witt is 1-for-4 with two strikeouts against New York’s Frankie Montas (1-1, 6.14 ERA), who will make his fourth start Saturday since making his season debut June 24 following a lat strain. The right-hander has allowed 10 runs and 12 hits — four homers — in 9 2/3 innings of his last two outings.
He gave up four runs and five hits without a walk over a season-high 5 2/3 innings last weekend in a 12-6 victory against the New York Yankees, but earned his first win as a Met.
“I thought I threw the ball pretty well,” Montas said. “My splitter hasn’t really been really consistent. I’ve been working on it. I feel like when I have that pitch, it’s going to be tough to hit.”
Montas is 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA in five career starts versus Kansas City.
After allowing nine runs and 19 hits over 15 2/3 innings of his previous three starts, scheduled Kansas City starter Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.61 ERA) was brilliant in yielding two hits and a walk while striking out seven over seven frames of Sunday’s 4-0 victory at Arizona. For the right-hander, it was just a second winning decision in his last 12 starts.
“Was able to stay focused, keep it slow and continue to make quality pitches,” said Lorenzen, who had little trouble executing his trademark changeup.
“Hopefully, I can continue that trend with that pitch, because that’s my bread and butter.”
Lorenzen is 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA in four career starts against the Mets.
–Field Level Media
