Harrison Bader had waited patiently for his first signature moment in a Mets uniform and Sunday he got it in the form of a swinging bunt.
The ball trickled toward third base as Bader hustled to first safely, ending this scoreless deadlock.
The Mets had a run and then another on Brandon Nimmo’s ensuing walk in a 2-1 victory over the Royals at Citi Field.
After retiring Dwight Gooden’s No. 16 in a pregame ceremony, the Mets received superb pitching throughout, as Jose Butto, Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley muzzled the Royals before Edwin Diaz, in a rare hiccup, surrendered a solo homer to Vinnie Pasquantino in the ninth before recording the final out.
The Mets won a third straight series and will open a three-game set Monday against the Pirates.
Pete Alonso, Brett Baty and Jeff McNeil all walked in the eighth against Chris Stratton.
Bader followed with a dribbler for an infield single and the walk to Nimmo gave the Mets needed insurance.
In his second straight strong performance, Butto allowed only two hits with a walk and hit batter over six shutout innings.
The right-hander struck out nine, using his changeup as the strikeout pitch five times.
Butto — as the perfect tribute to Gooden — struck out the side to begin the game.
It was the first time this season a Mets pitcher faced three batters in an inning and struck out all of them.
The Royals had their best chance against him in the second inning, when Butto surrendered a leadoff double to Salvador Perez and plunked Adam Frazier with two outs.
Butto then retired Hunter Renfroe.
The Mets wasted an opportunity in the fourth, when Starling Marte was nailed at the plate to end the inning on a strong throw from M.J. Melendez after tagging up on Tyrone Taylor’s fly to left.
Marte had singled leading off the inning and the ensuing batter, Francisco Lindor, reached on a single and advanced to second after Renfroe booted the ball in right field.
McNeil was plunked in the hand by Cole Ragans in the fifth and Harrison Bader singled before Nimmo was retired for the third out to keep the game scoreless.
Butto struck out Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia to begin the sixth before Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a double to give the Royals their first runner in scoring position since the second inning.
Butto rebounded to retire Pasquantino.
Lindor’s single and a walk to Alonso gave the Mets a rally in the sixth before Ragans retired Taylor and Francisco Alvarez.
The lefty Ragans allowed five hits over six shutout innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Lindor had a shot with the bases loaded in the seventh after reliever John Schreiber walked Marte with two outs.
Lindor swung at Schreiber’s first pitch and popped out to end the inning.
