Three Errors, One Inning, and KC Never Looked Back
Kansas City scored three runs in the first inning without hitting the ball out of the infield — all three crossing on a cascade of errors — and that chaos set the tone for a 16-12 demolition of the Mets on July 7. When the dust settled, the Royals had put up 28 combined runs in a game that looked less like baseball and more like a fire drill.
The win-probability swing of the night happened before most fans had found their seats. Benge reached on an infield single to the pitcher, and what followed was a three-error sequence — a throwing error by Lugo, a throwing error by first baseman Caglianone, and a throwing error by third baseman Loftin — that plated Ewing, Bichette, and Benge. New York's win probability swung from 55% to 80% on that single play, and the Mets never fully recovered from the gift they handed themselves. The Royals answered immediately in the second: Tolbert homered to left (377 feet) to score Massey, then Ewing answered right back with a 402-foot shot to right to push the Mets back to a 5-2 lead. The game appeared to be New York's to lose — and they obliged.
The fourth inning looked like a knockout for the Mets. Soto launched a 415-foot center-field bomb that scored Torrens and Ewing, ballooning the lead to 9-4. But Kansas City's fifth inning was where the real story lived. The Royals sent the lineup around, scoring five runs on a Massey double, a Witt Jr. fielder's choice, and a Perez single to tie it at 9. Senga, who had taken over from Brazoban, was charged with 4 earned runs across 3.0 innings, walking four batters. Lugo, meanwhile, lasted just 4.1 innings himself, surrendering 6 earned runs on 9 hits. Neither starter covered himself in glory, and the bullpens were left to sort out the wreckage.
The seventh inning was Kansas City's statement. Perez doubled to score Thomas for the lead, Loftin followed with a 387-foot homer to left-center to make it 12-9, and then the Royals kept piling on — a walk, a fielder's choice, and a Thomas double to left that scored Tolbert and Witt Jr. to push it to 16-9. The Mets scratched back to 16-12 on a Polanco double, a Baty sacrifice fly, and a Benge single in the eighth, but the deficit was never seriously threatened. Tolbert went 5-for-6 with a homer and 4 runs scored. Ewing was a perfect 4-for-4 with a homer, 3 RBI, and 4 runs for New York — a performance that looks like it deserved a winning side. Lane Thomas quietly did the most damage with 4 RBI on 3 hits. The Royals won ugly, won big, and won convincingly.