KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Edinson Volquez pitched six scoreless innings, and Eric Hosmer stroked three singles and drove in a run as the Kansas City Royals held off the New York Mets 4-3 in the season opener Sunday night in a rematch of the 2015 World Series.
Volquez, who was the starter for the decisive Game 5 of the World Series, allowed two hits, walked three and struck out five. Volquez (1-0) threw 62 strikes in 106 pitches.
Mets right-hander Matt Harvey, who started the final World Series game that Kansas City rallied to win 7-2 in 12 innings, was pulled after 5 2/3 innings and 83 pitches. He yielded four runs (three earned) on eight hits — all of them singles — and two walks. Harvey (0-1) struck out three.
The Royals scored a pair of runs in the sixth on four hits to make it 4-0, a cushion they would need. Alex Gordon and Omar Infante contributed run-producing singles. Infante’s hit was off Bartolo Colon after Salvador Perez’s single sent Harvey to the showers.
Harvey, who last week dealt with a bladder infection that caused a blood clot, threw only 16 pitches in two innings Wednesday in his final exhibition start. He blanked the Royals for eight innings in Game 5 of the World Series, but Kansas City rallied to tie it in the ninth and win it with a five-run 12th.
The Mets scored three runs in the eighth off Joakim Soria, a former Royals closer who left after the 2012 season and re-signed with them during December.
Soria retired only two of the seven batters he faced, yielding three hits and walking two. Lucas Duda delivered a two-run single after Soria walked Yoenis Cespedes to load the bases. Michael Conforto’s RBI single pulled the Mets within one and finished Soria’s outing.
Luke Hochevar was summoned to face Asdrubal Cabrera, and he struck out the New York shortstop to end the inning.
Wade Davis gave up a walk and a single in the ninth, but he struck out David Wright looking and Cespedes swinging to end the game with runners on first and third to preserve the lead and pick up a save.
Conforto doubled, singled and walked twice. The previous Met to reach base four times in the opener was Xavier Nady in 2006.
Omar Infante went 2-for-3 for the Royals.
The Mets defense, which betrayed the team in the 2015 World Series, gifted the Royals an unearned run in the first inning when Cespedes dropped Mike Moustakas’ fly ball to left field after one out. Moustakas took second on a passed ball charged to catcher Travis d’Arnaud, matching his passed ball total for last season.
After Lorenzo Cain walked on five pitches, Hosmer’s ground-ball single to left field scored Moustakas. Harvey avoided further damage by inducing Kendrys Morales to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.
The Royals made it 2-0 in the fourth, which Cain and Hosmer began with singles. Morales’ sacrifice fly to center fielder Juan Lagares scored Cain. Harvey had retired the previous eight batters before the fourth. The inning ended when Alex Gordon grounded into a double play.
NOTES: The Mets’ lineup included three players who did not start in the 2015 World Series Game 5: 2B Neil Walker, SS Asdrubal Cabrera and CF Juan Lagares. Michael Conforto was the starting left fielder for the final game of the World Series. … The Royals’ lineup included three different starters: DH Kendrys Morales, who did pinch-hit; 2B Omar Infante and RF Reymond Fuentes. … Both teams lost their second basemen to free agency. Daniel Murphy left the Mets to sign with the Washington Nationals, while Ben Zobrist departed the Royals to sign with the Chicago Cubs. … RHP Jacob deGrom joined the Mets on Sunday, but expects to head back to Florida this week with his wife, Stacey, due with the couple’s first child Tuesday. He is scheduled to start the Friday home opener against the Phillies. … Royals RHP Ian Kennedy, who was scheduled to start the second game Tuesday, has been pushed back because of a hamstring strain. RHP Chris Young will replace him. The Mets will counter with RHP Noah Syndergaard.