Kansas City Royals threw a unique lineup at the New York Mets. It worked ... big time

The Kansas City Royals returned to the win column on Saturday.

And they did it with a unique lineup.

The Royals started nine right-handed batters against the New York Mets. Royals manager Matt Quatraro opted for the lineup against southpaw Sean Manaea.

Manaea has fared worse against righties in his career. Opposing right-handed hitters had a .259 batting average and a .750 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in 198 previous games.

The strategy worked well. The Royals defeated the Mets 11-7 at Citi Field and won their 10th game of the season. KC recorded 13 hits after being limited to just three in Friday’s series opener.

“Those guys, they need to play against lefties,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s what they do. Those guys are really good hitters.”

Both teams traded runs early. However, the Royals surged ahead in the fourth inning. Bobby Witt Jr. reached third base on a fielding error. Moments later, Nick Loftin drove him home with an RBI single.

The rally set the stage for Royals captain Salvador Perez. He drilled his 250th career home run as the Royals reclaimed the lead. KC tacked on three late runs to secure the victory.

Manaea exited after 3 2/3 innings. He allowed eight runs (six earned), nine hits and issued three walks.

The additional runs aided Royals starter Alec Marsh. He allowed four early runs before settling into his outing. Marsh worked five innings and picked up his second win.

“You know, I didn’t have my best stuff,” Marsh said. “It was clear from the get-go. But having the guys come out and bringing the sticks early kind of gave me that extra boost to go out there like, ‘We are in this. Let’s keep us in this game.’”

The Mets fell to 6-8. KC will look to win the series on Sunday afternoon.

Missed previous Royals coverage?

Game 1: Royals limited to three hits as 7-game winning streak ends vs. Mets

Start Fast: How the Royals registered one of their hottest starts in franchise history

Take a look back at Saturday’s game:

Royals offense explodes once again

The Royals continue to surge offensively. Prior to Saturday’s game, KC had four games scoring 10 or more runs this season.

It didn’t take long to add to the list. The Royals scored 11 runs and did it in a variety of ways.

Several players contributed to the victory. Witt finished 2-for-4 and scored four runs. Lofin added three RBIs and Perez produced four RBIs.

“This is a high-octane offense any time you get us going,” Loftin said. “(It’s) scary. And with those guys, they are in the lineup every single day, and they continue to show it. We are a force to be reckoned with for sure.”

Six Royals recorded at least two hits. Hunter Renfroe continued to break out of his early slump with a two-run double in the sixth inning.

The Royals quickly erased an early 3-1 deficit. KC scored three runs in the second inning and followed it with a four-run frame. There was production throughout the lineup as eight of the nine starters reached base.

This season, the Royals have scored 84 runs in 15 games.

“We’re trying to make it an everyday thing,” Witt said. “Just showing up to the yard knowing we are supposed to win. That’s how you got to prepare. You can’t come to the field being skeptical about anything. Come to field just ready to play the game, ready to win, bringing the energy and having fun.”

Alec Marsh rebounds after slow start

The Mets got to Marsh early in the game. Marsh tossed 35 pitches in the first inning; New York scored three runs.

“It wasn’t the first inning you plan for,” Marsh said. “But I think after getting out of that first inning and just coming in and kind of settling down a bit, we still had to find a way to get through this game.”

Marsh was able to regain his form. He allowed just one run in the final four innings of his outing. The lone damage was a solo home run from Pete Alonso down the stretch.

He threw 60 of his 90 pitches for strikes. In the process, Marsh registered two strikeouts and one walk.

“My game plan was to kind of push these guys a little more,” Marsh said. “I think I was trying too much to do that. Kind of got me out of my delivery a little bit. Once we got back to that delivery, I started commanding the ball a lot better.”

The Mets scored three runs after Marsh left the game. Both Alonso and Starling Marte hit solo home runs off Royals relievers.

Next on the KC Royals schedule

The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Mets.

Cole Ragans will start in Sunday’s finale against Jose Butto. First pitch is set for 12:40 p.m. Central from Citi Field. After that, the Royals head to Chicago for a three-game series with the White Sox.