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Matt Harvey and Mets fall to Royals, 4-3, on Opening Night

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No more than 7 images from any single MLB game, workout, activity or event may be used (including online and on apps) while that game, activity or event is in progressJamie Squire/Getty Images

Matt Harvey gets no relief! The pesky Royals squeeze four runs, three earned, on eight hits in 5.2 innings against the Mets ace.

KANSAS CITY — Even on the mound Sunday, there was no relief for Matt Harvey.

After a turbulent week in which he seethed over some potty jokes in the newspapers and with memories of his Game 5 meltdown in the 2015 World Series still lingering, the Mets righthander struggled as the Mets fell to the Royals 4-3 at Kauffman Stadium in their season opener Sunday night.

The right-hander, who has boycotted the media for back- page headlines mocking him over his bathroom habits that he revealed following a bladder infection, allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits over 5.2 innings work. Harvey, who argued his way back in for the ninth inning of Game 5 only to give up the tying runs in the Series clincher, struggled with control Sunday. He walked two and struck out two in his first-ever Opening Day start.

He did not get any help from Yoenes Cespedes, whose drop of an easy fly ball set the tone and led to the Royals plating the first run of the game in the first inning.

The Mets did rally in the eighth inning. Lucas Duda, whose errant throw in Game 5 of the World Series allowed the Royals to rally and clinch at Citi Field, drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single and Neil Walkers’ fielder’s choice cut the Royals lead to a run, 4-3. Asdrubal Cabrera, who singled in his first at-bat as a Met, struck out to kill the rally.

Yoenis Cespedes drops a fly ball in the first inning, reminiscent of Game 1 of the World Series.Colin E. Braley/AP

Yoenis Cespedes drops a fly ball in the first inning, reminiscent of Game 1 of the World Series.

Cespedes had a chance at redemption with runners on the corners and two outs in the ninth. The outfielder struck out in an eight-pitch battle with Royals closer Wade Davis.

While the Mets talked all spring about turning the page on their 2015 loss to the Royals in the World Series, it was pretty hard to not reflect on how the Mets were beaten in the Fall Classic Sunday night at Kauffman Stadium.

There was a pregame ceremony that had the Mets on the third-base line for the player introductions for over 20 minutes. The Royals raised the World Series banner and then handed out the Silver Slugger awards.

In the first ever rematch of the World Series on Opening Day in MLB history, the Royals used the exact same formula they did in October to beat the Mets; they moved runners, played defense and ran the bases better than the Mets.

Lorenzo Cain crosses the plate as the Royals continue to torture the Mets.Orlin Wagner/AP

Lorenzo Cain crosses the plate as the Royals continue to torture the Mets.

There was even that Cespedes error in the first inning, similar to Game 1 of the World Series, to complete the nostalgic tone.

Cespedes tried to grab Mike Moustakas’ routine line drive to left field, but the ball popped out of his glove as he tried to squeeze it. The Royals third baseman advanced on Travis d’Arnaud’s passed ball. Harvey walked Lorenzo Cain, and Eric Hosmer scored the Royals unearned run on a single that cut right in front of Moustakas as he ran to third.

In Game 1 of the World Series, Cespedes tried to backhand Alcides Escobar’s routine fly ball, dropped it and then kicked it into the left field corner. That allowed Escobar to score an inside-the-park home run.

But the Mets did not re-sign Cespedes to a three-year, $75 million deal this winter because he is a good defender. While Cespedes had one of the Mets’ two hits off Royals starter Edinson Volquez and drew a walk in the eighth inning and scored on Walker’s ground ball to second.

The Mets are stuck reliving the past as the Royals celebrate their 2015 World Series.Ed Zurga/Getty Images

The Mets are stuck reliving the past as the Royals celebrate their 2015 World Series.

Volquez held the Mets scoreless over six innings. He scattered two hits, walked three and struck out five.

The Royals were 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position, including driving in runs twice on two-out singles.

Lorenzo Cain scored on Kendry Morales’ sacrifice fly in the fourth after Harvey gave up back-to-back singles to Cain and Eric Hosmer to start the inning. He was charged with two runs in the sixth after issuing a leadoff walk to Cain and then back-to-back two-out singles to Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez, before being pulled.

Bartolo Colon, working out of the bullpen this series, gave up an RBI-single to Omar Infante to finish off Harvey’s night.

Harvey and Cespedes were not the only Met who did not look ready for 2016 to start fresh.

Alcides Escobar’s groundball to third would normally be an out. But David Wright, who has had to alter his throwing motion to accommodate his degenerative back condition, lobbed the throw to first, allowing the Royals leadoff hitter to beat it out.  

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