If only the Mets could face a clueless team like the Royals more often.
If only they could get these kinds of results from the lineup more often.
If only starters like Sean Manaea could pitch deep into games like he did on Thursday.
Maybe then it wouldn’t have been nearly a month since the Mets previously won a series before they did so again by beating the Royals, 7-3, on Thursday.
But in a lost season, like the one the Mets are in the midst of, you take what you can get.
And against Kansas City, after they dropped as ugly a game as a team can draw up, they won two in a row, as they scored at least six runs for the fifth straight game for the first time this season.
The offense was backed up by seven strong innings from Manaea in his longest outing of the season.
Manaea gave up three runs (two earned) and pitched well despite giving up a home run to Lane Thomas on the first pitch of the game.
The lefty allowed a leadoff homer to Bobby Witt Jr. in the fourth, but the Mets came back with a five-run fifth to take command of the game.
Again, they got some help from the last-place Royals.
After Tyrone Taylor — in the game after Mark Vientos was removed with an injury from getting drilled in the hand in the second inning — tied it with a leadoff homer in the fifth, the Mets rallied to take the lead.
Brett Baty followed Taylor’s blast with a single.
Luis Torrens then lined out before A.J. Ewing singled and Juan Soto walked to load the bases for Bo Bichette.
The surging Bichette put the Mets up with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
Carson Benge, the recipient of a three-run Little League homer in Tuesday’s loss, got another gift.
He flared a single to center to score Ewing easily, but Thomas’ throw from center to third base got away from Nick Loftin, which allowed Soto to score and let Benge get all the way to third.
Benge then came in on Francisco Alvarez’s single to make it 6-2, which knocked ex-Met Michael Wacha out of the game
Soto’s 21st homer of the season to open the bottom of the seventh extended the lead.
