Luis Severino’s solid outing, timely hits lift Mets to win over Royals

Luis Severino kept everybody warm on a blustery night by breaking out the heat early and maintaining it. 

When it wasn’t the four-seam fastball, the veteran right-hander was frustrating batters with his cutter. Overall, 72 percent of his 90 pitches were fastballs, and solid contact was a problem for the opposition. 

With Severino in command over his five innings, the Mets opened a new homestand with their fourth victory in five games, 6-1 over the Royals at Citi Field. 

“Going out there it was just about not trying to strike out everybody and getting quick outs,” Severino said. “Get some ground balls and try to attack the hitters.” 

The Mets spread around the offense, receiving big hits from Brandon Nimmo, Brett Baty and Pete Alonso. And Jeff McNeil, who began to emerge from his early slump over the last week, had a breakout 3-for-4 performance with an RBI. 

The only blemish on Severino’s night was the four walks that kept him from extending beyond the fifth.