NEW YORK -- The New York Mets are very much alive.
David Wright and Curtis Granderson delivered go-ahead two-run homers, and Noah Syndergaard retired a dozen straight batters in the middle innings as the Mets beat the Kansas City Royals 9-3 in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday at Citi Field.
The Mets trail the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Wright finished with four RBIs, one shy of matching the franchise's World Series record set by Rusty Staub in Game 4 in 1973.
Thumbs up: The Mets had participated in four previous World Series, but never had produced a go-ahead homer when trailing. They got a pair Friday. Wright's two-run shot against Yordano Ventura in the first inning provided a 2-1 lead. In the third, Granderson's two-run shot against Ventura put the Mets ahead 4-3, and they never looked back.
Granderson went 2-for-21 in the World Series in 2006 with the Detroit Tigers but already has two long balls in three games in this Fall Classic.
Michael Conforto snapped an 0-for-20 drought with a run-scoring infield single in the fourth that gave the Mets a 5-3 cushion. Mets left fielders had been 0-for-their-last-30 before Conforto's single. That had been the second-longest hitless streak by teammates from one position in a single postseason in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Only the pitchers on the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers had a longer drought, at 0-for-39.
Syndergaard's streak of 12 straight batters retired ended with a two-out infield single by Mike Moustakas in the sixth. Syndergaard proceeded to walk the next two batters to load the bases as his pitch count rose to 102.
With the Mets clinging to a 5-3 lead, Syndergaard then coaxed a groundout from Alex Rios on the second pitch of the at-bat to strand the bases loaded and complete his outing.
Syndergaard had given up six hits through the first two innings. Coaxing swings-and-misses from the Royals that teammates Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom were unable to induce the previous two games, Syndergaard was charged with three runs, giving up seven hits, two walks and striking out six in six innings.
The Royals had 16 swings-and-misses at Syndergaard offerings. The other starting pitchers in this World Series -- for both teams -- have induced a combined 19 swings-and-misses, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Syndergaard also singled ahead of Granderson's third-inning homer. Syndergaard became the first pitcher to produce a hit and score in a World Series game since Andy Pettitte with the New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies on Oct. 31, 2009. Syndergaard joined Tug McGraw (1973) and Dwight Gooden (1986) as the only pitchers in franchise history with a hit and run scored in a World Series game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Juan Uribe also resurfaced. Hitting for Syndergaard in the sixth after being inactive in the opening two rounds, Uribe delivered an RBI single against Franklin Morales that put the Mets ahead 6-3. It was Uribe's first at-bat since being forced to leave a pinch-hit at-bat in Cincinnati on Sept. 25 when a cartilage issue in his chest worsened.
Wright added a two-run single that inning against Kelvin Herrera for a five-run lead.
Thumbs down: A pair of Mets fielding letdowns helped the Royals take early 1-0 and 3-2 leads.
On a would-be inning-ending double play in the first, shortstop Wilmer Flores threw wide to first base, allowing Eric Hosmer to beat the throw and Ben Zobrist to score the game's opening run. Syndergaard and Lucas Duda got tangled while trying to cover first base on the play.
An inning later, a passed ball by Travis d'Arnaud allowed Rios to score as Kansas City took a 3-2 lead. D'Arnaud had 12 passed balls during the regular season in 2014 but made significant strides and had only one this year.
What's next: Steven Matz opposes ex-Met Chris Young at 8:07 p.m. ET on Saturday in Game 4.