The Long Run: Manaea's Resurgence Continues as Mets Beat Royals 7-3

Mets 7 Royals 3 (Citi Field, Queens, NY)

Mets record: 40-54

Mets streak: Won 2

WP - Sean Manaea (2-4)

LP - Michael Wacha (5-7)

L 10: 5-5

Seat on the Korner: Sean Manaea

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.

Today's Seat on the Korner belongs to Sean Manaea, whose steady return to form continued with his longest outing of the season. It didn't begin the way he envisioned, as Lane Thomas launched the very first pitch of the afternoon over the fence, immediately putting the Mets in an early hole. But rather than unravel, Manaea settled in and showed the poise that made him one of the National League's most reliable starters in 2024. The veteran left-hander retired hitters efficiently, giving the Mets seven strong innings—his first seven-inning start of the season. He scattered six hits while allowing three runs, only two of them earned, and kept the Royals in check after the opening-frame home run.

His recent turnaround has been remarkable. Over his last 11 games (six starts), Manaea has posted a 3.66 ERA across 51.2 innings, recording 48 strikeouts while issuing just 13 walks. That's a dramatic improvement from his first nine appearances, when he owned a 6.56 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 11 walks over 23.1 innings. As the Mets continue their push through the second half, Manaea is once again looking like the dependable frontline starter they counted on a season ago. Not only did he earn a Seat on the Korner next to Ralph, but he also picked up his first win as a starting pitcher in 351 days, ending a drought that dated back to July 23, 2025.

Need to Know

• Prior to today's game, the Mets announced the following

  roster moves - RHP Dan Hammer (#81) has been selected to the Major

  League roster...RHP Tobias Myers was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

  following last night’s game...OF Jared Oliva has been designated for

  assignment.

• The Mets have won four of their last five games and improved to 21-25 at

  Citi Field this season.

• Carson Benge has recorded multiple hits in four consecutive games. He has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games since June 25 and he is batting .327 (19-58) over that span.

• Mark Vientos was hit by a pitch in the 3rd inning, he came out of the lineup in the 4th and is headed to the IL with a hand fracture, A.J. Ewing came in from centerfield to play second base (his natural position) for the first time in his major league career.

• Tyrone Taylor came into to play centerfield, and hit a homerun for the third straight game he has had an at bat in.

• Brett Baty has hit safely in a career-high-nine games. Over

  his hitting streak he is batting .294 (10-34) with four doubles and four RBI.

• Royals starter Michael Wacha was named to the American League roster for the 2026 All-Star Game, which marks his second career All-Star appearance and his first since 2015 with the Cardinals...according to Elias, Wacha is the third player since the All-Star Game’s inception (since 1933) to have at least 10 seasons between All-Star selections, joining Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven (11, 1973-85) and Schoolboy Rowe (10, 1936-47).

• Juan Soto hit his 21st home run of the season.

Turning Point

The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning with the Mets trailing 2-1. Forced into action earlier after Mark Vientos exited when he was hit by a pitch, Tyrone Taylor wasted little time making his presence felt. Taylor crushed a game-tying solo home run to left-center field—his sixth of the season—traveling 380 feet with a 100.8 mph exit velocity and a 26-degree launch angle. The blast ignited a five-run inning that completely shifted the game's momentum. The Mets followed with timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and took advantage of a Royals defensive miscue to seize a 6-2 lead. The offensive eruption also marked the fifth consecutive game in which New York scored at least six runs, their most consistent and productive stretch of the 2026 season.

Three Keys

Peaceful Easy Feeling

The Mets bullpen also showed signs of turning the page, with both Huascar Brazobán and Devin Williams delivering encouraging bounce-back performances after difficult outings in Atlanta over the weekend. Brazobán, who endured his roughest appearance of the season on July 5 when he surrendered five earned runs while recording just one out, has responded exactly how the Mets hoped. In his two outings since, the right-hander has tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four, lowering his ERA back to 2.80. Williams also rebounded after giving up three runs over two appearances in Atlanta. Entrusted with the ninth inning in a non-save situation this afternoon, the veteran closer retired the first two Royals before allowing a two-out single. He quickly regrouped, inducing rookie slugger Jac Caglianone to ground out to end the game, providing another positive step forward for a bullpen looking to regain its footing after a rocky weekend in Atlanta.

Life in the Fast Lane

Lane Thomas lead off the game with a Home Run on the first pitch of the game giving him an extra-base hit in each of his last 7 games, during which he’s now .384 (10-for-26) with 6 doubles and 3 home runs…it’s the longest streak in the Majors this season. He’s now 1 game shy of the club record 8 straight games with an extra-base hit, done by Danny Tartabull from June 25-July 3, 1991, and this 7-game streak is the longest by a Royal since Vinnie Pasquantino’s 7-game run last August.

Take it to the Limit

• Jared Young celebrated his 30th birthday today. He drove in the Mets first run of the game. He had two extra base hits, both doubles, He failed to join the 16 Mets players to homer on their birthday...Mike Piazza did it thrice, while Jim Hickman and Jeff McNeil did it twice...McNeil was the last Mets player to homer on their birthday.