All it took was a trip to the Little League World Series, an offensive outburst against Seattle’s George Kirby and a solid start from Clay Holmes.

The Mets used small ball to build an early lead before turning the power on in the 5th inning. Mark Vientos had four RBI (including a three-run round-tripper during that four-run fifth) and Clay

The New York Mets have placed catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb UCL sprain.

The Mets were greeted at the airport in Williamsport on Sunday by plenty of enthusiastic young fans and connected with teams from all over the world.

This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. Paige Leckie contributed to this week's newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

For the Mets on Sunday, their hopes of a late-season sprint into an unforgettable autumn started in the birthplace of Little League.

The Mets offense continued its tear, piling up 14 hits in a 7-3 win over the Mariners in front of a energetic crowd in Sunday's Little League Classic.

Cardenales Little League from his hometown of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, was representing Latin America in the LLWS.