The New York Mets were defeated by the Kansas City Royals by a score of 5-4 in the first game of the World Series at Kauffman Stadium Tuesday night.
Pitching:
The game got off to a rocky start. The Mets went down quickly in the first inning, and when the Royals came to bat in the bottom of the first, they wasted no time. On the first pitch, shortstop Alcides Escobar knocked one deep to the left-center field gap. An apparent miscommunication between Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes let the ball drop, resulting in the first World Series inside-the-park home run since 1929. It gave the Royals a 1-0 lead to start the game.
Matt Harvey settled in for a while, retiring 11 straight batters before allowing a lead off double to Ben Zobrist in the bottom of the 6th inning. Lorenzo Cain then singled to right field, putting runners on first and third with nobody out. Eric Hosmer then hit a deep sac fly to center field, scoring Zobrist from third and slimming the Mets’ lead to 3-2. Lorenzo Cain stole second base, but Kendrys Morales hit a come-backer to Matt Harvey for the second out. Unfortunately, Mike Moustakas slapped a change up into right-center field to drive in Cain, tying the game at 3-3.
Harvey left after 6 innings. His final line was 6 ip, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. He gave way to Addison Reed for the bottom of the 7th inning, who pitched a perfect inning.
Tyler Clippard came in to pitch the bottom of the 8th inning. He immediately served up a first pitch double down the right field line to Ben Zobrist. Terry Collins stuck with him, with Lorenzo Cain coming to the plate. He tried to put two bunts down but fouled each off, putting him in an 0-2 hole. He then blew a 93 mph past him for strike three, one out. With Clippard still in, lefty Eric Hosmer came to the plate. HE STRUCK HIM OUT ON THREE PITCHES!
So six pitches and two strikeouts later, with two outs, Kendrys Morales stepped to the plate, Tyler Clippard still in the game. With the count at 2-2, a change up got away from him and got to the backstop, advancing the runner to third. He then walked Morales. With runners on first and third, two outs, here comes Jeurys Familia…
All Mike Moustakas could do against him was tap a ground ball to Wilmer Flores at short, who threw him out to end the inning. 4-3 Mets going to the 9th!!
Salvador Perez grounded out to shortstop. With one out, Alex Gordon got a hold of a belt high sinker and hit it over the center field wall to tie the game at 4. He was the first batter Familia has allowed to pass second base this postseason. The rest of his inning was clean, sending the game to extra innings.
Jon Niese came in to pitch the 10th inning against the Royals 2-3-4 hitters and rolled right through them, striking out Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer. The inning ended at 11:49, the exact minute Jon Niese was born in 1986.
Jarrod Dyson started off the inning with a heart attack in the form of a deep line drive, but Curtis Granderson ranged back and leaped to snag it out of the air for the first out. After a Moustakas groundout, Salvador Perez slammed one down the third base line. David Wright was there to make the play, however the ball hit the base and left the Mets infield without a play. This brought Alex Gordon to the plate. However, he would not destroy my dreams this time, as Niese struck him out on four pitches! Going to the 12th still tied.
Bartolo Colon came in to pitch the 12th inning. Speedster Paulo Orlando led off the inning with an infield single, beating David Wright‘s throw to first. He was then bunted over to second base by Alcides Escobar. The Mets then intentionally walked Ben Zobrist to put runners on first and second with one out for Lorenzo Cain. He grounded out to first, moving both runners up, now with two outs. Colon then intentionally walked Eric Hosmer to get to Jarrod Dyson, who came to the plate with bases loaded, two outs, tie game, a true backyard wiffle ball situation. With the count 2-2, Dyson flew out to center field, and the Big Sexy got out of the inning. On to the 13th!
Mike Moustakas led off the bottom of the 13th inning with a base hit to center field. On the very next pitch, though, Salvador Perez popped up to the shortstop in shallow center field. Alex Gordon grounded out to first base, moving the runner up to second, now with two outs. Paulo Orlando then grounded out to shortstop to end the inning. On to the 14th!
The 14th inning started with yet another leadoff baserunner for the Royals, with Alcides Escobar reaching on an error committed by David Wright. This brought Ben Zobrist to the plate, who singled into right field to put runners on first and third with nobody out. Lorenzo Cain came to the plate against Colon, who was intentionally walked to load the bases, bringing Eric Hosmer to the plate. He hit a sacrifice fly to right field which, despite a strong throw by Grandy, scored Escobar from third to end the game, 5-4 Royals.
Offense:
The game remained relatively quiet until the top of the 4th inning, when Daniel Murphy led off the inning with a line drive base hit to center field. Yoenis Cespedes popped out, bringing Lucas Duda to the plate, who singled through the hole. With runners on first and third and one out, Travis d’Arnaud hit a hard groundball fair to third base. Mike Moustakas dove towards the line, but the ball popped out of his glove and had no play. Murphy scored, tying the game at 1 apiece. Then, with runners on first and second with two outs, Wilmer Flores grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
In the top of the 5th inning, in the midst of an abysmal blackout by Fox Sports, Curtis Granderson crushed a line drive home run down the line right field line to give the Mets a 2-1 lead!
Yoenis Cespedes led off the 6th inning with a base knock past a diving Alcides Escobar. Lucas Duda then slapped another single past Ben Zobrist at second, putting runners on first and third with nobody out, bringing Travis d’Arnaud to the plate. He struck out looking on a 96mph fastball on the outside corner, a perfect pitch. Michael Conforto then stepped in, and lofted a fly ball to shallow left field. Cespedes tagged up from third and scored, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead.
The Mets threatened again in the 7th inning against Kelvin Herrera, who throws almost as hard as the Mets starters, With David Wright and Daniel Murphy smacking base hits with two outs. Unfortunately, Cespedes then flew out after a long at bat to end the inning.
They kept it going, threatening again in the 8th against Herrera. With two outs, Juan Lagares singled to center after a tremendous at bat. Then, with Wilmer Flores at the plate, Juan Lagares stole second. That would pay off immediately, as Wilmer Flores hit a chopper to Eric Buckner at first base, who misplayed it. It got by and Juan Lagares scored, giving the Mets a 4-3 lead!!!
The Mets then came up for the 9th, and with one out, David Wright smacked another base hit. He then attempted to steal second base and was initially ruled safe, but the paly went to review and he was then called out. So, two outs and nobody on for Daniel Murphy who, unfortunately, did not hit a home run.
The Mets went down quietly in the 10th inning against Royals closer Wade Davis. I will say, he’s filthy.
Ryan Madson got the ball for the 11th inning, giving up a beautiful bunt base hit to Juan Lagares to start the inning. Wilmer Flores was then up to bunt, he got it down, moving Lagares up to second base. With one out, Michael Cuddyer came to the plate, and he did that thing he does when he strikes out. Curtis Granderson then walked, bringing the Captain David Wright to the plate with two outs. After a long at bat, he struck out on a 92 mph cutter on the outside corner to end the inning.
Chris Young came in for the 12th inning. He struck out Daniel Murphy, Yoenis Cespedes, and Lucas Duda. He went back out there for the 13th. With two outs, Wilmer Flores had a fantastic at bat, working a walk. Kirk Nieuwenhuis came to the plate to pinch hit for Michael Cuddyer, but he fouled out to the third baseman for the last out. He also pitched a 1-2-3 14th inning, including another at bat in which Daniel Murphy did not hit a home run.
Notes:
Wilmer Flores is the first player to put his team ahead by reaching on an error in the 8th inning or later in a World Series game since, you guessed it, Mookie Wilson in game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
Fun Fact: Paulo Orlando is the first Brazilian born player to appear in a World Series game.
This was the longest World Series Game 1 in MLB history.
On Deck:
The Mets will try to even the series at 1 Wednesday night, sending Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54 ERA) to the hill to face off against Royals’ starter Johnny Cueto (4-7, 4.76 ERA) at Kauffman Stadium.
