The New York Mets (63-60) found some offense from both a likely source and an unlikely source as they beat the Kansas City Royals (44-79), 4-1, to even up the series at a game apiece. (Box Score)

Pete Alonso had three hits on the night, none bigger than a two-run single in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie. He now has 93 RBIs on the year.

But the bottom of the Mets order also contributed as Juan Lagares stroked three hits as well. An unlikely hero, batting around .200 for most of the year, Lagares scored two runs and drove in one while playing a flawless center field.

In fact, Lagares, Luis Guillorme, and Aaron Altherr, the lower third of the Mets batting order, went 5-for-11, scoring all four of the Mets runs.

Mets starter Jacob deGrom was superb once again earning his eighth win of the year. Mickey Callaway said he was particularly impressed with deGrom’s seventh inning as he worked out of a two-on, no-out jam. Callaway summed it up nicely when he said, “Jake was just being Jake.” DeGrom has now gone 16 straight starts allowing three runs or fewer.

Zack Wheeler will take the ball Sunday to try to help the Mets get the series win.

Offense

The Mets managed 11 hits against the Royals on Saturday.

In the first inning, the Mets did not score. Alonso smacked a two-out single to center but Michael Conforto struck out to end the frame.

Wilson Ramos extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single to left to lead off the second. He has the longest active streak in the Majors. A double play in the inning prevented the Mets from scoring.

In the third inning, the Mets got a scare as Amed Rosario was hit by a pitch ball in the hand and was looked at by trainer Brian Chicklo for a lengthy period of time. Rosario stayed in the game and promptly stole second, his 15th swipe of the year.

The Mets put two men on in the fourth, but again failed to get a hit with a runner in scoring position. Conforto walked and Ramos followed with his third consecutive hit going back to Friday’s game. With runners on first and third, Guillorme lined out to Hunter Dozier in right to end the threat.

After the Royals scored in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead, the Mets got that run right back in the top of the fifth. Lagares and Altherr opened the inning with singles. Rosario hit into a double play, sending Lagares to third. The Mets were 1-for-13 with RISP in the series to this point as Joe Panik stepped to the plate. He singled up the middle to plate Lagares and tie the score at 1-1.

The Royals, who lead the American League in team defense, showed why in the sixth. Conforto blasted a long fly to center that Brett Phillips caught in spectacular fashion crashing into the wall but holding onto the ball.

After Lagares singled for his second hit of the game to open the seventh, Altherr was hit by a pitch near his head. it was the 73rd time this year a Mets player was plunked to lead all of baseball. Royals’ manager Ned Yost replaced starter Jakob Junis with Jake Newberry. Newberry faced one batter, Rosario, who walked to load the bases. Newberry was relieved by side-winder Tim Hill. Hill struck out pinch hitter J.D. Davis on three pitches to send up Alonso. Alonso singled up the middle to plate both Lagares and Altherr and give the Mets a 3-1 lead. The Rookie of the Year candidate now has 93 RBIs for the year.

The Mets made it 4-1 in the eighth. Guillorme singled with one out. Lagares then ripped a triple to deep right, his third hit of the game, to plate Guillorme and extend the Mets lead. It was Lagares’ 18th RBI of the year.

Alonso collected his third hit of the night, a double in the ninth. The Mets could not bring him around to score.

Pitching

Jacob deGrom made his 25th start of the season on Saturday. In the first inning, deGrom struck out Dozier, giving him the National League lead in Ks with 190. He had been tied with Max Scherzer as the game began.

DeGrom struck out Jorge Soler and and Cheslor Cuthbert to begin the second frame, giving Jake three strikeouts in a row in a dominant inning.

Strikeout number four was registered in the third frame. Through three innings, deGrom was perfect throwing 41 pitches.

The Royals took the lead in the fourth. With one out, Alex Gordon walked. Dozier then hit a broken-bat single to right for Kansas City’s first hit of the game. Gordon went to third on the single. He scored on an error by Alonso, as the rookie could not field a grounder off the bat of Soler. Gordon scored on the miscue to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.

The Mets ace regrouped nicely in the fifth setting the Royals down one-two-three on only nine pitches.

DeGrom pitched a strong sixth again retiring the side in order.

Dozier and Soler each singled to begin the seventh inning. But one thing deGrom can do is battle when he’s in trouble, and battle he did as he got out of the frame without yielding a run. Cuthbert hit into a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs. After a walk to Phillips, deGrom struck out Ryan O’Hearn to end the threat and also end deGrom’s excellent outing.

Jacob deGrom’s final line was: 7 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 5 Ks, 2 BB. He threw 107 pitches, 67 of which were strikes. He now has a 2.61 ERA.

Justin Wilson came in to pitch the eighth and was effective, working around a single by Nicky Lopez.

Seth Lugo entered the game in the ninth in search of his third save of the year. He retired the side in order to notch the save.

On Deck

The Mets conclude their series with Kansas City with a matinee on Sunday. Zack Wheeler (9-7, 4.36 ERA) will be on the mound for New York. Wheeler was 3-0 after the All-Star break before his last outing against the Atlanta Braves where he gave up 5 runs on a career-high 12 hits. He’ll be looking to rebound against a team whose offense is not nearly as potent as the Braves’. Wheeler will be making his first start in his career at Kauffman Stadium.

Glenn Sparkman (3-8, 5.45 ERA) gets the ball for the Royals. Last out, he took a tough loss against the St. Louis Cardinals where he allowed only one run on four hits in six innings. The Royals’ lost the game, 2-0, as the offense failed to pick-up its pitcher. Sparkman pitches particularly well at home where he has a 2.84 ERA over 12 outings.

The final game of the road trip will begin at 2:15 PM. It will be telecast on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880-AM.