Mets' defensive woes prove costly again in Game 2 loss

The New York Mets thought the addition of Gold Glover Juan Lagares into their Game 2 lineup on Wednesday would help answer any leftover questions about their defense from Game 1, but that wasn't the case.

Although the box score may show only a single error - courtesy of Lucas Duda in the fourth - the Mets struggled in the field, as a series of defensive blunders in the eighth inning put the game out of reach, and the Royals walked away with a 7-1 win.

Although a shift from center field to left allowed superstar Yoenis Cespedes to make a couple of fine grabs, the Mets' defense let them down in a game they needed to win.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)

New York's rough start defensively began in Game 1 when miscommunication between Cespedes and Michael Conforto allowed Alcides Escobar to hit a first-inning inside-the-park home run, and David Wright's 14th-inning error gave the Royals the opening they needed to walk away with a Game 1 win. Things didn't change in Game 2.

"They've just done things better than we have," Wright told reporters postgame. "Hopefully that's about to change."

World Series analyst and New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez hit the nail on the head when he said prior to Game 1: "If the Mets could catch the ball they will win the World Series."

New York hopes to figure things out as the series returns to the familiar confines of Citi Field on Friday for Games 3, 4, and 5.