MLB
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If this is a glimpse of what life is going to resemble for the Mets now that the trade deadline has passed, the next two months could seem like four.
The Mets took a lead into the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday night after Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run homer — but they lost on a balk-off: Josh Walker entered the game in relief and balked before even throwing a pitch in a 7-6 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
The lefty Walker, who came in with the bases loaded and two out, said he was trying to alert his catcher, Alvarez that he didn’t have a PitchCom device in his ear.
As Walker attempted to step off the mound, he placed his foot in a footprint and his knee buckled while his foot was still on the rubber.
The balk allowed MJ Melendez to score the winning run from third.
“You get lost in the moment just thinking about the hitter and attacking him and a mistake was made, plain and simple,” Walker said, adding that he was supposed to get a PitchCom when he came into the game.
In the Mets’ first bullpen meltdown since David Robertson was traded to the Marlins last week, Brooks Raley was charged with three runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits in the 10th inning.
Bobby Witt Jr.’s leadoff double scored the automatic runner and Melendez’s single drove in Witt to tie the score.
Brett Baty’s throwing error allowed Dairon Blanco to reach against Grant Hartwig and Drew Waters’ ensuing walk loaded the bases before Walker’s balk.
“You always feel bad when games are not decided by the players,” manager Buck Showalter said. “But you could say that it was, because he balked. It’s very technical. You have got to step off there.”
The skeleton lineup fielded by the Mets in their first game after the trade deadline included Rafael Ortega in his club debut, DJ Stewart and Danny Mendick.
But despite being far from Murderers’ Row (Brandon Nimmo reported tightness in his quadriceps following batting practice and was rested for precautionary reasons), the lineup still had the Mets in position to win following Alvarez’s homer over the center-field fence in the 10th.
The loss came hours after the Mets traded Justin Verlander, Tommy Pham and Dominic Leone as part of their retooling for the future.
Jose Quintana, who drew interest before the deadline, allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks over 6 ²/₃ innings.
Adam Ottavino flushed a 4-3 lead in the eighth by walking Melendez, who stole second and then scored on Freddy Fermin’s sacrifice fly.
Pete Alonso blasted homer No. 31 of the season to give the Mets a 1-0 lead in the second inning. It was the fifth homer in seven games for Alonso, who indicated he was unaware if the Mets shopped him before the trade deadline.
Before the game, general manager Billy Eppler declined to say if he viewed Alonso, who can head to free agency after next season, as part of the organization’s future.
“We love having Pete here,” Eppler said. “As far as what goes beyond his last year of control I am going to keep those conversations internal, but he is such a strong player for this organization and he means so much to the community and our identity. Between him and Francisco [Lindor] and Brandon [Nimmo], these are guys we rely on, they are tremendous people and great players, great teammates.”
The Royals tied it 1-1 in the fifth on Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly. Alonso got hit in the face by the ball on a sliding attempt to catch a pop up near the first-base dugout during the at-bat. He was examined by the trainer and remained in the game.
Blanco stole third and raced home on Alvarez’s throwing error on the play to give the Royals a 2-1 lead in the seventh. A third run was charged to Quintana on Garcia’s single against Trevor Gott in the inning.
The Mets rallied for three runs in the eighth to go ahead 4-3. Alonso delivered a bloop RBI single and Baty walked with the bases loaded before Mark Vientos hit a sacrifice fly.
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