KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Instead of ruining the party, the Mets showed up, fell asleep and didn’t raise hell until it was too late.
The World Series banner was raised, the sellout crowd at Kauffman Stadium voiced approval for 2015 and then watched the Royals methodically dismantle the Mets and survive a late comeback attempt Sunday night.
With Matt Harvey hittable and the lineup dormant most of the night, the Mets lost 4-3 to the Royals, dampening their aura as an Opening Day beast.
“It’s not the way I wanted to start the season, but we have to pick up from it and get ready for Tuesday,” Harvey said, breaking a media silence he had imposed in recent days as backlash for headlines about his recent bladder infection.
Even with Harvey allowing three earned runs on eight hits over 5 ²/₃ innings in his first career Opening Day start, the Mets had a shot late. But Yoenis Cespedes struck out against Wade Davis to end it, with the tying run at third base, after David Wright was caught looking at strike three.
“You definitely don’t want to get behind, and that was something I did,” Wright said. “That second strike I got a pitch to hit, and that’s one I want to put in play. He left a cutter middle out a little bit and I put a good swing on it and fouled it straight back.”
Cespedes’ strikeout was the culmination of a rough night for him: He dropped a routine fly ball in left field in the first inning that led to the Royals scoring an unearned run.
“The ball just fell out of my glove,” Cespedes said.
The Mets scored three runs in the eighth to put a scare into the Royals before Luke Hochevar struck out Asdrubal Cabrera with the tying run at second base.
The matchup was the first between two pennant winners on Opening Day. The loss dropped the Mets to 36-20 all-time in openers, which still ranks first in all-time winning percentage.
Edinson Volquez was trouble for the Mets, allowing two hits and three walks over six shutout innings. The veteran righty retired the last seven batters he faced before Kelvin Herrera worked a scoreless seventh.
Harvey was on the verge of escaping a second straight jam, when Alex Gordon hit a bloop to center in front of Juan Lagares’ glove for an RBI single that put the Mets in a 3-0 hole. The next batter, Salvador Perez, singled, ending Harvey’s night before Omar Infante’s RBI single against Bartolo Colon padded the lead. The key play of the inning might have been Eric Hosmer’s bunt single against an over-shifted infield that put runners on first and second with nobody out.
“[Harvey] probably ran out of gas in the sixth — his velocity started to drop,” manager Terry Collins said. “All and all I thought he threw the ball fine.”
Joakim Soria allowed all three of the Mets’ runs. Lucas Duda delivered the big hit of that eighth inning, a two-run bloop single to left. Neil Walker’s ensuing RBI fielder’s choice pulled the Mets within 4-3.
In a pregame ceremony, the Royals raised their first world championship banner in 30 years, as the Mets watched from the third-base line after receiving their introductions. A short Mets highlight package from last season was shown as the players were introduced.
But the real highlights came after the home team was introduced, when a montage of last year’s World Series appeared on the screen. In a classy move, the Royals excluded Duda’s throwing error that allowed the tying run to score in the ninth inning of Game 5.
The rest of the celebration will come Tuesday, when the Royals are scheduled to receive their World Series rings in a pregame ceremony.
“They are the champs,” Wright said. “They should celebrate it.”
Harvey was facing potential disaster in the fifth, when the Royals — leading 2-0 — put runners on second and third with two outs following a failed replay challenge by the Mets. Crisis was averted: Mike Moustakas was retired, letting Wright off the hook for a lackluster throw to first that had allowed Omar Infante to reach before Alcides Escobar singled. Juan Lagares made a strong throw to third trying to nail Infante, but the runner was ruled safe and the play was upheld following a Mets challenge.
Harvey allowed consecutive singles leading off the fourth and watched the Royals take a 2-0 lead on Kendrys Morales’ sacrifice fly. But Alex Gordon hit into an inning-ending double play before the Royals could strike again.
Cespedes’ error in the first led to Harvey surrendering an unearned run. Mike Moustakas hit a routine fly to left that hit Cespedes’ glove and dropped. Travis d’Arnaud’s ensuing passed ball moved the runner to second and, after Lorenzo Cain walked, Hosmer delivered an RBI single for the run.
The Mets had their best early opportunity in the second, when Michael Conforto drew a two-out walk and Cabrera singled. But Moustakas made a strong throw to nail d’Arnaud at first base on a grounder, ending the threat. In the third, a diving Hosmer flipped to Volquez covering the bag for the final out.
