Duffy struggles as Royals lose 4-3

Despite racking up eight strikeouts, Danny Duffy failed to get through five innings as the Royals fell to the Metropolitans 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon.

As the game was getting under way, Duffy looked like he would continue the form that he had shown over the last few weeks. After working out of trouble in the first with a double play, he cruised through the second and struck out the side in the third.

But Duffy ran into trouble in the fourth. He started off the inning with a walk to Asdrubal Cabrera, and Yoenis Cespedes followed with a single. After Walker fouled out and Flores struck out, James Loney singled to score Cabrera and give the Mets the lead.

The Royals responded in the fifth. Cheslor Cuthbert hit a line shot home run to left off of Noah Syndergaard. Jarrod Dyson singled, and Whit Merrifield drove him on a single after Duffy sacrificed him to second.

But the Mets came back in the fifth. After striking out Rivera and Syndergaard, Curtis Granderson walked. Asdrubal Cabrera then belted a shot into left-center, giving the Mets the lead 3-2. Duffy then walked Cespedes, and his day concluded. His final line was 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K.

The Royals responded again in the sixth. With two outs, Salvador Perez crushed a double into left field. Paulo Orlando then singled up the middle, the ground ball glancing off of second allowed Perez to score easily, though Orlando probably would have been safe at first anyway.

But, the Mets came back one more time. Matt Reynolds hit a home run off of Joakim Soria, giving them the 4-3 lead that they would hold for the rest of the game. At some point, Yost deployed the SS Brian Flynn, fairly well conceding the game, or at least his intention to not fight very hard for it. A mid-week day game getaway day will do that to you.

On Friday, Kansas City looks to get back on the winning side of life. Edinson Volquez (7-6, 4.12 ERA) twirls against Dallas Keuchel (3-9, 5.32 ERA), who has come a long way since his Cy Young season last year.