Royals' walkoff sends Mets into the break with a loss

Royals 3 Mets 2 (Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO)

Mets record: 55-42

Mets streak: Lost 1

Last 10: 6-4

WP - Carlos Estévez (4-2)

LP - Sean Manaea (0-1)

Seat on the Korner: Noah Cameron

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

If Mets fans didn't know who Ryan Cameron was, they do now. The Royals rookie, who grew up some 60 miles from Kauffman Stadium, has been impressive since his call-up to the majors on May 17 — and even before. Indeed, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his big-league debut against Tampa Bay on April 30, only to be sent back to Triple A the next day. Now it looks like he's back in the bigs to stay. He came into the game with a 3-4 record in 12 starts, but improved his major league-leading ERA for rookies to 2.31. He used an assortment of five pitches in scattering seven hits against the Mets over 6.2 innings, during which he struck out eight and walked two. And, although he didn't get the win since the Mets tied the game in the ninth, his effort was good enough to be invited to Ralph's post-game show.

Need to Know

• Rain delayed the start of the game for a second time this series, with this one starting 43 minutes after the scheduled 2:10 ET start time.

• The Mets learned that reliever Dedniel Nuñez will need to undergo a second Tommy John surgery — and also discovered that reliever Max Kranik might also need Tommy John.

• John Rave put KC ahead in the second inning with a one-out, two-run double down the right-field line.

• The Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. grounded into 6-4-3 double plays in his first two at-bats. Coming into the game, Witt had only grounded into one DP all season.

• After the Royals needed to go with a bullpen game on Saturday, KC reliever John Schreiber came on to get the last out in the Mets seventh inning after having thrown 29 pitches the day before.

• The Mets had the leadoff man on in four of the first seven innings with nothing to show for it.

• Clay Holmes started for the Mets and pitched well, giving up just the two runs over five innings. He retired 10 of the last 11 Royals he faced, yielding just a walk over that span.

• Mark Vientos, batting second as the Mets DH, had two more hits, giving him five for the series and showing signs that his sophomore slump could be behind him.

• The loss, combined with the Phillies' win in San Diego, dropped the Mets back into second place, a half-game behind Philadelphia at the All-Star break. The Mets' next game will be Friday night, July 18, against the Reds at Citi Field.

Turning Point

The Royals' ninth-inning rally was the turning point after the Mets tied the game in the top half. Tyler Tolbert, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth, singled to right off Sean Manaea and promptly swiped second, the speedster's ninth stolen base in 10 tries this season. Then Nick Loftin, who also didn't start the game, smacked a line drive to left to plate Tolbert with the winning run.

Three Keys

Ain't got that swing

For the second straight day, the Royals kept the Mets' hitters at bay thanks to Cameron, John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg, who combined to shut them out through eight innings. Juan Soto struck out three times and Francisco Lindor fanned twice. The Kansas City arms were backed by a flawless defense, led by shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. The Mets did manage seven hits over the first eight innings, but failed to bunch them together.

Knot enough

The Mets finally broke through for a pair of runs to tie the game in the ninth against Royals closer Carlos Estévez, who got the win despite failing in his second straight game against the Mets — the third, if you count last postseason when, pitching for the Phillies, he gave up a grand slam to Francisco Lindor that iced that series for the Amazin's. Leading off the ninth, Ronny Mauricio roped his second hit of the game, a double to left, and scored when Jeff McNeil, pinch-hitting for Tyrone Taylor, slammed a triple off the centerfield wall. Brett Baty grounded out, but Jared Young — pinch-hitting for Luisangel Acuna — lofted a fly to medium center that was good enough to get McNeil home with the tying run.

What we've been missing

Remember Sean Manaeu, the Mets ace from last season who was supposed to be the ace again this season but has been on the shelf since straining his oblique in spring training? Well, he finally took the mound for the first time in 2025 in relief of Clay Holmes and was downright nasty until the Royals' ninth-inning rally. After giving up a hit to Bobby Witt Jr. leading off the sixth inning and getting a grounder to first, Manaea struck out the next five Royals in succession. The southpaw did give up two hits in the eighth — one a bunt single — but got another strikeout and two foul outs to get the game to the ninth. He finished his 3.1 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks, providing hope that — with him and Kodai Senga back after injuries — the Mets' rotation will be much more formidable in the second half than it's been the past few weeks.