Ragans' scoreless start spoiled again with late mistakes

NEW YORK -- The Royals and Mets found themselves in a pitchers’ duel on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. When it was over, the Mets ended up winning, 2-1.

The game was scoreless going into the bottom of the eighth inning. Royals reliever Chris Stratton entered the game and had problems throwing strikes. Stratton walked three batters to load the bases and then Harrison Bader reached on an infield single, scoring Pete Alonso.

Brandon Nimmo followed and walked on four pitches, which allowed Jeff McNeil to score the second run of the game.

“I just wasn’t getting ahead of anybody,” Stratton said. “I didn’t get the job done today. … We have been playing good ball. I thought I let our team down. It’s just one game. I can’t wait to get to Chicago and go from there.”

Kansas City got on the board in the ninth inning when Vinnie Pasquantino hit a solo shot over the right-field wall, but Freddy Fermin popped up to Alonso at first base to end it.

The loss spoiled a great outing from left-hander Cole Ragans, Kansas City's ace. He tossed his second scoreless outing of the season, allowing five hits and striking out eight batters as he picked up his third no-decision of the season. The Royals also lost on April 3 when Ragans tossed 6 1/3 scoreless against Baltimore.

“I felt great. I thought I commanded my stuff well,” Ragans said. Curveball felt good. Everything felt good.”

After allowing a leadoff single to Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo, Ragans retired the next nine hitters before allowing a single to Starling Marte to start the fourth inning. Ragans got into a jam in the fourth, but Kansas City's defense helped him get out of it.

The Mets had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom fourth when Tyrone Taylor lined out to left fielder M.J. Melendez, who threw a perfect strike to Perez to secure the double play. The 33-year old catcher applied the tag to Starling Marte, who collided with Perez on the slide.

Perez was able to get up under his own power, but limped back to the dugout. He was taken out of the game because of a left hip and groin injury, and was replaced at catcher by Freddy Fermin.

“I thought I made a good pitch,” Ragans said. “MJ made a great throw. It was like one of those freak accidents. We got out of it. Good throw by MJ. Good tag by Salvy. It was one of those freaky things.”

Ragans pitched Kansas City’s 10th quality start of the season, which leads the Major Leagues. The rotation also has a 2.46 ERA, which is the second-lowest in baseball behind Boston.

Kansas City's ace now has a 1.93 ERA across four starts, but has yet to earn a win. But with a rotation that has been as dominant as the Royals' this season, Ragans knows the team will have a chance to win no matter who is on the mound.

“There are five of us. You couldn’t go wrong with any of them," Ragans said. "Everybody is incredible with incredible stuff.”

Ragans leads the team with 29 strikeouts, which ranks second-most in the American League.

“He has top of the rotation stuff," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "He mixes it up, throws hard [and] controls the running game well. He has the total package."