NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrone Taylor, who entered when Mark Vientos suffered a fractured right hand after being hit by a pitch, hit the game-tying homer to start a five-run fifth inning Thursday, powering the New York Mets to a 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Sean Manaea had his longest start in 21 months for the Mets, who won a series for just the third time since June 1.
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New York Mets' Carson Benge celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a Francisco Alvarez single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Brett Baty, right, steals second base in front of Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Juan Soto, right, celebrates his solo home run with Carson Benge during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Juan Soto throws his bat after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Tyrone Taylor, right, celebrates his solo home run with Brett Baty during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Manaea (2-4) allowed six hits, three runs, two earned, and struck out six while completing seven innings for the first time since Oct. 8, 2024, when he earned the win for the Mets in Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Taylor took over in center field for rookie A.J. Ewing, who made his big league debut at second after Brett Baty moved to third when Vientos left following the second inning. Interim manager Andy Green said following the game Vientos will go on the injured list.
Bo Bichette lofted the go-ahead sacrifice fly and Carson Benge and Francisco Alvarez followed with RBI hits against Michael Wacha (5-7).
Juan Soto homered in the seventh. Jared Young added two doubles, including an RBI hit in the second.
Lane Thomas hit Manaea’s first pitch into the left field seats for his ninth career leadoff homer. Bobby Witt Jr. homered in the fourth and Jac Caglianone had an RBI double in the seventh.
Wacha, who earned his first All-Star Game selection in 11 years last weekend, allowed six runs and six hits and struck out five in 4 2/3 innings.
Royals: Continue a road trip Friday, when RHP Luinder Avila (4-3, 5.05 ERA) opposes RHP Brandon Young (7-2, 3.38 ERA) and the Baltimore Orioles.
Mets: RHP Nolan McLean (6-5, 3.73 ERA) starts Friday’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox, who have yet to announce a starter.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Mets' Carson Benge celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a Francisco Alvarez single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Brett Baty, right, steals second base in front of Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Juan Soto, right, celebrates his solo home run with Carson Benge during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Juan Soto throws his bat after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Tyrone Taylor, right, celebrates his solo home run with Brett Baty during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
LONDON (AP) — Coco Gauff had just the shot she was looking for.
Seven years after her breakthrough at Wimbledon, the American player was on the verge of reaching her first final at the All England Club.
All she needed to do was execute what appeared to be a manageable put-away on her first match point.
The thing is, it's never that simple in a Grand Slam semifinal, especially toward the end of a decisive super tiebreaker on Centre Court — the sport's most hallowed venue.
Gauff fluffed a forehand drop-shot attempt into the net and her opponent Karolina Muchova went on to see out a drama-filled tiebreaker to win 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (10) on Thursday.
On the match point, Gauff hit a well-placed serve down the T on the ad court and Muchova’s weak forehand return bounced before the service line — right in Gauff's attack zone. But Muchova’s shot had some topspin on it and kicked up higher than Gauff was anticipating.
“The bounce kind of caught me off guard,” Gauff said. “I just panicked a little bit.”
After the miss, Gauff ran her non-hitting hand over her face and practiced a full-swing forehand that perhaps she would have preferred in hindsight.
“People who don’t watch tennis are going to be like, ’Why did you do that?” Gauff said. “At the end of the day, that’s the choice I made. Was it the right one in that moment? Maybe not. But then also, if I make it, everyone’s going to say how clutch of a shot that was.
“That’s just tennis. You lose some points off margins.”
Muchova also lost a match point before she came out on top when Gauff hit a forehand into the net.
“It was such a big fight,” Muchova said. “It was a roller coaster.”
Muchova will meet Linda Noskova in an all-Czech final on Saturday after Noskova beat Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-4.
Clearly flustered after her miss, Gauff called for a ball to serve again before she realized it was time to change ends since it was 9-9.
“I’m going to think about it tonight,” Gauff said.
“I look at Roger (Federer, in the 2019 final) lost match points here, Jannik (Sinner) obviously at Roland Garros (in last year’s final). Every great champion has this happen in their career," Gauff added. "Maybe this is something I need to be on their level.”
Tracy Austin suggested on the BBC that Gauff looked like “she changed her mind three times as to where to hit that ball.”
But Gauff said, “Honestly, I didn’t change my mind too much. I feel like if I had to do it over, I probably would have gone for a slice forehand down the line.
“It’s a learning experience,” Gauff added. “I know I can do better and improve on that, and going with a higher-margin shot in a pressure moment, for sure.”
On the point after Gauff's miss, Muchova produced a lob winner to set up her first match point, which she lost when she slipped to the grass and a passing shot from Gauff sailed by her.
But Muchova quickly set up another match point and produced a series of shots to the corners. Gauff, on the full run, reached the last ball but her forehand response landed in the net and Muchova covered her hands in disbelief.
“You’re up and down in 10 seconds. You have a match point, then match point down. It’s no time to think, but very nerve-wracking,” Muchova said. “I’m really kind of shaking and trying to sink it in.”
Earlier in the tiebreaker, Muchova produced a diving forehand volley winner at full stretch that brought back memories of the way three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker used to play. She ended up face down on the grass, her racket lying next to her, as the crowd roared.
There will be a third Czech champion in four years after Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024.
For Gauff, it was still her most successful Wimbledon. Previously, the seventh-ranked American had gone only as far as the fourth round three times – including as a 15-year-old in 2019 in her Grand Slam debut.
Gauff had had won six of her seven previous matches against Muchova.
But Muchova has been nearly unbeatable on grass this year and extended her record this season on the surface to 11-1 after a title in Bad Homburg, Germany. Her only loss on grass this year came against Madison Keys in the Berlin Open round of 16.
Muchova beat Gauff for the first time in April on clay in Stuttgart, Germany.
It was another hot day in London with the temperature soaring to 91 degrees Fahreinheit (33 Celsius), prompting spectators to fan themselves in the stands in an attempt to keep cool.
Muchova appeared to be struggling physically as the match wore on, bending over in exhaustion after one long rally and holding her abdomen in apparent pain during the final game.
“I’m OK,” Muchova said. “I just was trying to catch a breath.”
The men’s semifinals on Friday feature top-ranked and defending champion Jannik Sinner against seven-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic and French Open champion Alexander Zverev against British wild card Arthur Fery.
In the mixed doubles final, second-seeded Marcelo Arevalo and Jelena Ostapenko beat Marc Polmans and Storm Hunter 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
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Associated Press writer Mattias Karén contributed to this report.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic serves against Coco Gauff of the United States in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Coco Gauff of the United States reacts after winning a game against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic looks at the ball as Coco Gauff celebrates saving a match point against her in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic celebrates her victory against Coco Gauff of the United States in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Coco Gauff of the United States loses her balance during a point against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic celebrates her victory against Coco Gauff of the United States in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic celebrates her victory against Coco Gauff of the United States, background, in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Coco Gauff of the United States returns the ball to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic serves to Coco Gauff of the United States in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Coco Gauff of the United States returns the ball to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic returns the ball to Coco Gauff of the United States in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Coco Gauff of the United States reacts after losing a point against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their semifinal women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
