NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Tolbert tied a major league record with hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances, finishing 5-for-6 on Tuesday night and powering the Kansas City Royals to a wild, 16-12 comeback win over the New York Mets.
Batting ninth, the right fielder hit a two-run homer in the second inning and singled in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. Tolbert’s last three hits were infield hits. He flied out in the ninth.
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New York Mets pitcher Matt Seelinger reacts walking off the field during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Kansas City Royals' Nick Loftin (12) celebrates his two-run home run with Salvador Perez during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Mets' Juan Soto reacts to flying out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Kansas City Royals' Tyler Tolbert (2) celebrates with Isaac Collins (1) and Lane Thomas (15) after defeating the New York Mets in a baseball game Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Kansas City Royals' Tyler Tolbert reacts to flying out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Tolbert matched the record set by Chicago’s Johnny Kling in 1902 and equaled by Walt Dropo of the Detroit Tigers in 1952.
The second-year player grinned as he walked back to first base following the record-tying hit. The Citi Field scoreboard flashed a graphic noting his accomplishment.
A.J. Minter retired Tolbert in the ninth. The remnants of the announced crowd of 32,734 gave Tolbert an ovation, and his teammates applauded while gathering on the top step of their dugout.
Tolbert went 2 for 2 on Saturday night against Philadelphia before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. He then started at shortstop on Monday and went 5 for 5 with a homer, his first of the season.
Every starter except Jac Caglianone had at least one RBI for the Royals, who trailed 9-4 before tying it with five runs in the fifth and pushing ahead with a seven-run seventh against Matt Seelinger (0-1), who made his major league debut.
Lane Thomas went 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Tolbert scored four runs and drove in two.
The Mets had been 200-1 when scoring 12 or more runs, losing 13-12 at San Francisco on May 24, 2022, despite Joc Pederson’s three-homer, eight-RBI game.
Beck Way (1-0), the Royals’ fourth pitcher, got the final two outs of the seventh. Seth Lugo was tagged for a career-high nine runs, six earned, in 4 1/3 innings.
Rookie A.J. Ewing homered and reached base in all five plate appearances for the Mets, going 4 for 4 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Juan Soto hit his 20th homer, a three-run shot.
The Royals have yet to announce a starter for Wednesday night, when RHP Christian Scott (2-1, 3.49 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets.
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New York Mets pitcher Matt Seelinger reacts walking off the field during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Kansas City Royals' Nick Loftin (12) celebrates his two-run home run with Salvador Perez during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Mets' Juan Soto reacts to flying out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Kansas City Royals' Tyler Tolbert (2) celebrates with Isaac Collins (1) and Lane Thomas (15) after defeating the New York Mets in a baseball game Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Kansas City Royals' Tyler Tolbert reacts to flying out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O'Hearn has been playing baseball nearly all his life. Never has the left-handed slugger had a game quite like Tuesday's 12-4 win over Atlanta.
Not in Little League. Not in high school. Not at Sam Houston State. Not in the minors. Not in Baltimore. Not in San Diego. Not ever.
Three home runs. Ten RBIs. One magical night that included a rare curtain call and ended with his batting helmet headed to Cooperstown.
The Pirates have been playing baseball since 1882. No player across 145 seasons had ever driven in 10 runs in a game. A grand slam in the first and a three-run homer in the third off Braves starter Hurston Waldrep, and another three-run shot off Atlanta reliever Connor Thomas in the sixth changed all that, breaking the club single-game record of nine RBIs set by Johnny Rizzo against St. Louis on May 30, 1939 — a scant 54 years before the 32-year-old O'Hearn was born.
The 10 RBIs also marked the most in the majors by a player this season, and he became the 11th big leaguer since RBI became an official statistic in 1920 to have at least three home runs and 10 RBIs in a game and the first since Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani did it against Miami in September 2024.
“Got some good pitches to hit and after the third one I was like, ‘Oh man, no kidding? I guess today's supposed to be my day,'” O'Hearn said.
In more ways than one. When O'Hearn took Thomas deep to push his RBI total to 10, it also marked the 100th home run of his nine-year career. Not bad for a semi-late bloomer who didn't reach the majors until 25 and didn't become an All-Star until last season, just after turning 31.
The Pirates saw enough to sign him to a two-year deal in the offseason, their first multiyear investment in a free agent in nearly a decade. O'Hearn has embraced the role of clubhouse leader on a team trying to reach the postseason after 10-plus years in the wilderness. His 16 homers are one short of his career high of 17 set last season, and his record-setting night came just hours after Pittsburgh lost rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin for two months with a left hand injury.
“We're going to keep rocking,” O'Hearn said. “We have good players.”
O'Hearn is one of them. Pirates manager Don Kelly wanted to give O'Hearn a break late with Pittsburgh comfortably ahead, but didn't want to do it at the cost of robbing O'Hearn of a shot at history.
So O'Hearn headed to the plate in the ninth, looking to become the 22nd player to hit four homers in a game. When he looked at the mound, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Braves infielder Jorge Mateo, whom O'Hearn called a “good buddy.”
Atlanta turned to Mateo to give the bullpen a breather in a blowout, and Mateo did what Waldrep and Harris couldn't by keeping O'Hearn in the yard, though not off the bases. O'Hearn laced a single to right field to complete a four-hit night and give the Pirates their third straight victory as ace Paul Skenes earned his first win in nearly two months.
The reigning NL Cy Young winner gave up two runs on eight hits over six solid innings, walking one and striking out four. Skenes, who opted out of next week's All-Star Game and was replaced by teammate Braxton Ashcraft, also saw his velocity consistently stick in the 97-98 mph range after frequently dipping into the mid-90s during a loss to Philadelphia last week.
Not that Skenes wanted to talk about it much. For once, his performance wasn't the story, even if he couldn't help but have a little fun at his teammate's expense.
“I think it was kind of selfish, to be honest,” Skenes deadpanned. “Everybody else was getting on, and then, home runs are rally killers. You hit a three-run home run or a grand slam, and it’s just like, what now? There’s nobody on. Nobody can drive him in. Good for him, I guess.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn (29) acknowledges the fans after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning of abaseball game, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)
The Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn (29) celebrates a three-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)
The Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn (29) celebrates a three-run home run off Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep during the third inning of an MLB game, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)
The Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn (29) watches as his three-run home run off Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep clears the wall during the third inning of an MLB game, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)
The Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn (29)celebrates a three-run home run off Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep during the third inning of an MLB game, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)
