​NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Tolbert tied a major league mark by recording hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances, finishing 5-for-6 as his Kansas City Royals erased a nine-run deficit to stun the New York Mets with a wild 16-12 comeback win on Tuesday night. Batting ninth, the right fielder launched a two-run homer in the second inning and added singles in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. Tolbert’s final three hits all came on infield plays, and he lined out to end the night in the ninth.
Tolbert matched the long-standing record first set by Chicago’s Johnny Kling in 1902 and later equaled by Walt Dropo of the Detroit Tigers in 1952. The second-year player flashed a grin as he jogged to first after the record-tying hit, and the Citi Field scoreboard highlighted the moment with a graphic. A.J. Minter worked a clean ninth inning to close Tolbert’s day, and the crowd of 32,734 gave him a standing ovation while his teammates gathered at the top step of the dugout to applaud.
Tolbert had shown recent form, going 2-for-2 on Saturday against Philadelphia before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. He then started at shortstop on Monday, going 5-for-5 with a home run, his first of the season. In Wednesday’s game, every Royals starter except Jac Caglianone notched at least one RBI, as Kansas City overcame a 9-4 deficit with five runs in the fifth and then surged ahead with a seven-run seventh against Matt Seelinger, who was making his major league debut. Seelinger was credited with the loss, falling to 0-1.
Lane Thomas contributed a three-hit performance with four RBIs, while Tolbert scored four runs and drove in two. The Mets, meanwhile, have a heartbreaking blush of misfortune, having been tied to a historic possibility of allowing 12 or more runs; they had been 200-1 in such situations after a 13-12 loss at San Francisco on May 24, 2022, despite Joc Pederson’s three-homer, eight-RBI outburst in that game.
On the mound for the Royals, Beck Way (1-0) retired Tolbert to end the seventh, recording the final two outs for the Royals. Seth Lugo gave up a career-high nine runs, six earned, in 4 1/3 innings, a difficult outing that included the Mets’ offensive onslaught.
Rookie A.J. Ewing supplied a bright spot for the Mets by homering and reaching base in all five plate appearances, finishing 4-for-4 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Juan Soto also contributed offensively for New York with his 20th homer, a three-run shot that highlighted the Mets’ night.
As for the Royals’ rotation, the team has yet to announce Wednesday’s starter; right-hander Christian Scott (2-1, 3.49 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Mets in what remains a busy, unpredictable series.
The thrilling nature of the game underscored a few other notable performances and moments, including Tolbert’s capacity to calm the storm and flip momentum with a single at-bat, the Mets’ persistent late rally, and the Royals’ resilience in a game that swung wildly from start to finish.