KANSAS CITY -- With Jesse Winker back on the injured list and Starling Marte out until after the All-Star break, the Mets need someone to step up big and provide a boost in the designated hitter role.
Enter Mark Vientos.
It was Vientos who got the nod in that spot Friday night, and manager Carlos Mendoza’s confidence was rewarded handsomely when Vientos delivered a go-ahead three-run double in the eighth inning off All-Star closer Carlos Estévez to lift the Mets to an 8-3 victory over the Royals.
“Good hitter, man,” Mendoza said of Vientos. “For him to come through right there, against a pretty good arm in Estévez, it was huge for us and for him.”
Vientos started the night hitting .213, and when he struck out with the bases loaded in the third inning against Michael Wacha, Vientos showed signs of frustration by slamming his bat to the ground and snapping it in half. But another big opportunity developed in the eighth. This time, Vientos didn’t miss.
“It was good to redeem myself the second time,” Vientos said. “I just tried to stay simple. Just hit it hard the other way and maybe bring in one run. Luckily, I found a gap.”
Trailing 3-1, the Mets loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth before cleanup hitter Pete Alonso struck out and broke his bat over his knee in disgust. But Vientos picked the Mets up in a huge way with his liner to the gap in right-center for a bases-clearing hit. Mendoza loved the approach that Vientos showed in that at-bat.
“He stayed on the fastball and fought in that at-bat,” Mendoza said. “He was able to be on time and got the barrel on the fastball while using the whole field. When he’s doing that, it’s a really good sign for Mark.”
Was the clutch double Vientos’ biggest hit of the year?
“Let me think about that one,” Vientos replied.
The Mets were able to welcome back right-hander Kodai Senga, who had been on the injured list with a right hamstring strain since June 12. Senga worked through some traffic to turn in four shutout innings before leaving with his pitch count at 67.
The Royals rallied for a 3-1 lead on a Bobby Witt Jr. home run in the seventh before Vientos turned it all around in the eighth.
A three-run homer by Francisco Lindor and a solo shot from Juan Soto in the ninth gave the Mets ample breathing room.
Senga surrendered hits to the first two Royals that he faced and found himself in a second and third, no outs dilemma in the first. But Senga got out of the jam unscathed and wound up with four shutout innings that lowered his ERA to 1.39.
“I thought the fastball had life and the split was really good,” Mendoza said of Senga. “The cutter, the slider. He looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. That’s a really good sign going to the All-Star break.”
In terms of evaluating his first performance since June 12, Senga was generally pleased.
“There are some things I could have done better,” Senga said through interpreter Hiro Fujiwara. “But the biggest thing was that I was out there and got out of it healthy.”
With runners at second and third and nobody out in the first, Senga fanned Vinnie Pasquantino. Then, Maikel Garcia lined out to the pitcher, and Senga threw the ball past third base in hopes of getting a double play. But Jonathan India was briefly hurt while scrambling back to third and couldn’t get up and score. Senga then struck out Salvador Perez to complete the escape act.
“I was a little bit nervous getting back on a big league mound,” Senga said. “Those two runners got on and I said, ‘This is not a good look for me.’”
In the end, the Mets were all smiles. They were pleased to see Senga do what he did on the mound and Vientos do what he did at the plate.