NEW YORK — Matt Reynolds snapped a sixth-inning tie with his first major league home run, leading Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets past the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Wednesday for a two-game sweep in their World Series rematch.
Asdrubal Cabrera homered for the second straight day and scored with an acrobatic slide to help Syndergaard (8-2) win his sixth consecutive decision. The only bad news for banged-up New York was another injury, this one to Yoenis Cespedes.
The star slugger had two hits and a walk, including a double off the center-field wall, but was removed in the sixth because of discomfort in his left wrist.
Cheslor Cuthbert homered for the Royals, who had won eight of nine when they arrived at Citi Field - where they clinched their 2015 championship with a late rally in Game 5.
But after a string of comebacks floored the Mets last fall, this time New York’s bullpen held Kansas City at bay in two more tight games between the teams.
Including a two-game split at Kauffman Stadium to begin the season, the Mets took three of four meetings between the defending league champions this year.
Playing the outfield for the first time in his professional career, Reynolds hit an opposite-field drive to right off Joakim Soria (3-3) with two outs in the sixth.
That put New York ahead 4-3 and made a winner of Syndergaard, who pitched on six days’ rest after getting pushed back a day. The big right-hander squandered a pair of one-run leads, giving up three runs and a season-high eight hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked none.
Syndergaard also won 2-0 at Kansas City in April. And of course, he earned New York’s only World Series victory last October and irritated the Royals by firing his first pitch above Alcides Escobar’s head.
The teams played this one without incident.
Aided by a diving play from Neil Walker at second base, Jerry Blevins worked a perfect seventh for the Mets - extending his scoreless streak to 21 appearances and a career-best 13 innings. Addison Reed pitched the eighth, setting up Jeurys Familia for his major league-leading 24th save.
Familia, charged with three blown saves in the World Series last year, has converted a club-record 40 consecutive regular-season chances going back to last August - though he did blow a four-run lead in the ninth inning of a game this season.
Curtis Granderson walked with two outs in the fifth and Cabrera hit a two-run shot off a 97 mph, 1-2 fastball from frustrated starter Danny Duffy.
Cabrera also turned in a slick play at shortstop and scored the first run with a nifty slide at the plate after James Loney’s two-out single in the fourth.
Whit Merrifield and Paulo Orlando each had an RBI single for the Royals.
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
New York sat slumping LF Michael Conforto against the left-hander, so Reynolds started in left and made all his plays. The rookie infielder said the last time he played the outfield was in summer ball during college.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: All-Star LF Alex Gordon (broken right wrist) played his fourth rehab game at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He was 4 for 11 with a home run and a double in his first three games and could rejoin the Royals this weekend.
Mets: RHP Bartolo Colon remains scheduled to make his next start Sunday in Atlanta. The 43-year-old Colon threw only four pitches Tuesday night before exiting with a bruised right thumb when he was hit by Merrifield’s line drive. … Needing a fresh arm in their taxed bullpen, the Mets recalled RHP Logan Verrett from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned INF Ty Kelly to their top farm club.
UP NEXT
Royals: After a day off Thursday, their second in four days, the Royals play another opponent they dispatched during the 2015 postseason. RHP Edinson Volquez (7-6, 4.12 ERA) faces AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel (3-9, 5.32) when Houston visits Kansas City on Friday night for a three-game series.
Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (4-9, 4.76 ERA) takes the mound Thursday night in the opener of a four-game set. RHP Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.23) pitches for the last-place Braves, who beat Harvey and swept three games at Citi Field last weekend.
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