Too close for comfort. Mets nearly blow it against White Sox

NEW YORK — It didn’t take long for the Mets and the Chicago White Sox to score runs.

In Tuesday’s 6-4 win at Citi Field, after the White Sox scored two runs in the top of the first, thanks to first baseman Miguel Vargas’s two-run home run to left field, the Mets retaliated in the bottom of the inning.

Left fielder Brandon Nimmo got things started for New York with a one-out single. Right fielder Juan Soto followed with one of the most mystifying plays you will ever see.

White Sox center fielder Michael A. Taylor trapped a Soto line drive in right-center, but Nimmo thought it was caught and made his way back to first. After Soto passed Nimmo on the basepaths, he was ruled out.

Normally, this is a single, and, originally, Soto was credited with one. But because every forced runner must advance, and since Nimmo returned to first, by rule, this cannot be a single.

Therefore, Soto is credited with having grounded out to first.

Nevertheless, the Mets followed with five consecutive hits, including home runs by first baseman Pete Alonso and DH Jared Young, to give the Mets a 4-2 lead.

In the third inning, New York tacked on another run, extending their lead to 5-2.

Second baseman Brett Baty started the inning with a lead-off single and wound up on third on Young’s double. A one-out sacrifice fly scored Baty from third base.

In the eighth inning, after the White Sox narrowed the Mets’ lead to 5-4, New York managed three consecutive two-out hits to score a security run, giving them a 6-4 lead.

Mets starter Tylor Megill was effective through 5 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and four walks, and recorded six strikeouts.

In the seventh inning, the White Sox made things interesting when they scored two runs on reliever José Buttó to cut the Mets’ lead to 5-4. The right-hander entered in relief of Megill in the sixth and managed to get the first two batters he faced out before unraveling.

After allowing the next four batters on, New York turned to left-hander José Castillo to get out of the inning.

Castillo turned the ball over to right-hander Reed Garrett, who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to secure his second save of the season.

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Manny Gómez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.