Royals 16 Mets 12 (Citi Field, Queens, NY)

Mets record: 37-54

Mets streak: Lost 1

WP -Beck Way (1-0)

LP - Matt Seelinger (0-1)

Seat on the Korner: Tyler Tolbert

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

In a game that featured 33 hits and 28 runs between the two teams, it may seem like there wouldn't be an offensive standout worthy of the Seat on the Korner. In fact, it would probably take a feat beyond the game itself to accomplish this. Well, Royals right fielder Tyler Tolbert did just that.

Tolbert's story actually begins on Saturday when he went 2-2 with 2 singles in the Royals 6-1 loss to the Phillies. After a day off on Sunday, Tolbert then followed this with a 5-5 game (3 singles, a double, and a home run) in the Royals 15-1 drubbing of the Phillies on Monday. So when Tolbert arrived in Queens, he brought a 7 at-bat hitting streak with him.

By the time Tuesday night's wild ride was done, Tolbert had tied a major league record of 12 straight at-bats with a base hit. He his the fifth player in major league history to accomplish this feat. In all, he went 5-6 with 4 singles, a 2-run home run, 2 RBIs, 4 runs scored, and a stolen base.

The Royals have now scored 16 runs in two straight games, and Tolbert has been at the heart of it with 10 hits, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. And of course, one Seat on the Korner.

Need to Know

• This was the first Mets home game in which they scored at least 11 runs and lost. They were previously 129-0 in such contests.

• Over their last 18 innings pitched, the Mets have allowed 28 runs on 36 hits with 17 walks.

• Prior to tonight's game, the Mets called up infielder/DH Jorge Polanco from his minor league rehab stint, while optioning Rony Mauricio back to Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets also designated pitchers Guillermo Zuniga and Alex Carrillo for assignment while adding reliever Matt Seelinger to the major league roster.

• The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly... Good: The Mets pounded out 13 hits in Tuesday night's game, while walking 5 times and striking out just 4. Bad: Francisco Lindor was the only Mets batter without a hit, and his now 0 for his last 11. Ugly: If you don't include the Mets opening pitcher Cionel Perez, the Mets bullpen gave up 16 runs on 19 hits with 11 walks and 7 strikeouts over 8 innings.

• Bo Bichette has now reached base in 14 of his last 15 games. During that span he is batting .317 (19-60), with 3 doubles, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs and 9 runs scored.

• Juan Soto stayed hot with a 3-run home run. Over his last 5 games, Soto is batting .368 (7-19) with 3 home runs, 4 runs scored, and 10 RBIs.

• It wasn't just about hitting for Soto either. With two outs and two runners in scoring position in the top of the 4th, Soto helped out struggling Kodai Senga with a diving catch to end the inning.

Turning Point

The Mets had leads of 3-0, 5-2, and 9-5, before the Royals tied the game at 9 in the top of the 5th. Two innings later, the Royals would take a lead they would never relinquish (despite their best efforts).

Mets pitcher Matt Seelinger made his major league debut in the top of the 7th (more about this below), and it didn't take long for the Royals to spoil the party. Royals center fielder Lane Thomas led the inning off with a walk and then Royals designated hitter Salvador Perez gave Kansas City their first lead with a long double to left.

The Royals went on to score 7 runs in the 7th.

Three Keys

Not So Welcome Matt

It's been a remarkable week for 31 year-old Long Island native, Matt Seelinger. After 9 minor league seasons for 5 other MLB organizations, as well as the independent Long Island Ducks, the Mets picked up the righty reliever on Monday from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations. Despite solid numbers throughout his minor league career, Seelinger had never pitched in the majors, until tonight. Spoiler alert: the feel good story took a bit of a detour in the top of the 7th. In what had already been a crazy game, Mets manager Andy Green called on Seelinger to keep the game tied. Unfortunately for Seelinger and the Mets, the Royals would not oblige. By the time the top of the 7th was done, Seelinger had given up 7 runs on 4 hits with 4 walks. He did strike out two batters though. Seelinger's night wasn't done in the 7th. The rookie came back out in the 8th and pitched a relatively harmless frame, giving up just 1 more hit.

Same Story, Different Angle

Just over a week after the Mets defense botched a leadoff hit and turned it into a little league-style home run, the Mets were on the receiving end of a similar gift. With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the first, Carson Benge hit a tapper to the right of the pitcher's mound. Seth Lugo scampered to the ball and then the adventure really began... Lugo's throw was in the dirt and got past first baseman Jac Caglione, allowing AJ Ewing to score. Caglione than ran and quickly retrieved the ball then airmailed a throw somewhere in between third and home where nobody was standing, which enticed Bo Bichette to try to score. Third Baseman Nick Loftin grabbed the ball and fired home, hoping to catch Bichette. Instead, the throw was a bit wide and got past catcher Carter Jensen. By the time another Royals fielder tracked the ball down, Benge scored easily, and the Mets were up 3-0.

Three Cheers and Four Hits for AJ

It looks like AJ Ewing may have settled into his role as a major leaguer. For almost a month now, the Mets rookie center fielder has been one of the few reliable bats in this lineup, and on Tuesday night he punctuated that with a 4-4 game. Since June 14 (22 games), Ewing is batting .311 (23-74), with 5 home runs, 4 doubles, 16 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. He ranks in the top 5 among major league rookies in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS, and extra-base hits during that span. On Tuesday night, Ewing collected 4 hits including a 2-run home run, 3 RBIs and 4 runs scored.