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Edinson Volquez threw six scoreless innings, and the Kansas City Royals held off a late rally by the New York Mets in a World Series rematch to win 4-3 at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.

Four different Royals knocked in runs as the team defended its championship in style on Opening Day. However, the victory came with some drama, as closer Wade Davis put runners on first and third before striking out David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes to end the game.

Kansas City celebrated its first win of the season on Twitter:

When MLB released the 2016 schedule in September, no one could have imagined the coincidence that would occur Sunday, when the two teams that played in the previous year’s World Series matched up on Opening Day for the first time.

Unfortunately for the Mets, they had to watch the Royals raise their first World Series banner since 1985 after falling 4-1 in last year’s Fall Classic.

The pregame scene was surreal for a team that didn’t qualify for the playoffs from 1986 through 2013.

Damon Amendolara of CBS Sports Radio couldn’t believe what he was seeing: 

As great as the festivities were for the Royals, Sunday marked the beginning of a new season. Once the umpire called Volquez’s first pitch to Curtis Granderson a strike, the Royals officially had begun their quest to repeat as World Series champions.

They got off to a fast start, as first baseman Eric Hosmer singled home Mike Moustakas in the bottom of the first inning to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney shared his thoughts on the first run, which followed a Cespedes error:

Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News took a shot at Cespedes, who failed to make a play in Game 1 of the World Series, leading to an Alcides Escobar inside-the-park home run:

Although it was a tough first inning for Mets starter Matt Harvey, he didn’t allow a hit after Hosmer’s RBI single until the fourth inning, when center fielder Lorenzo Cain hit a leadoff single. The Royals eventually pushed across a run on a Kendrys Morales sacrifice fly to seize a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City led 3-0 in the sixth after a two-out RBI single by left fielder Alex Gordon. When catcher Salvador Perez followed with a single, the Mets pulled Harvey from the game.

Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star fired off a tweet after the Mets pulled Harvey, seemingly referencing a bladder infection earlier in the week that nearly caused Harvey to miss his start:

Second baseman Omar Infante added an RBI single off Bartolo Colon for the team’s final run, which was charged to Harvey.

Harvey, who failed to defeat the Royals for the second straight time, was decent at best—5.2 innings, eight hits, four runs, three earned—but he wasn’t nearly good enough opposite Volquez, per the Royals:

The Royals bullpen does not usually blow leads, but Joakim Soria came on to start the eighth and didn’t leave until he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning.

Henry Lake of Kansas City’s 610 Sports Radio tweeted what every Royals fan must have been thinking after the 4-0 lead was suddenly 4-3:

Setup man Luke Hochevar, who came in with runners on second and third, struck out Asdrubal Cabrera to restore order.

The Royals then turned to Davis, who has allowed 15 earned runs in 139.1 innings over the past two seasons, to end the game.

Six of the nine Royals regulars finished with at least one hit, while Hosmer led the way with a 3-for-4 performance. Michael Conforto was 2-for-2 for the Mets, and Lucas Duda had a game-high two RBI.

It’s a long season, but the Royals proved to be formidable defending champions with an all-around strong performance Sunday, aside from the eighth inning. They didn’t hit a home run but constantly put the ball in play, striking out only three times and batting .300.

The teams will finish off their two-game series Tuesday night in Kansas City, with Chris Young of the Royals taking the mound against Noah Syndergaard of the Mets.

Postgame Reaction

Volquez, who was the starting pitcher in Games 1 and 5 of last year’s World Series, continued his solid pitching on the big stage.

One would think the 32-year-old would relish the chance to pitch on Opening Day, but that wasn’t the case, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

“I like to enjoy the show,” Volquez said. “Enjoy the time. … I did the best I could.”

His best was certainly good, as was the rest of his team.

“They’re scrappy,” Wright said, per the AP. “We knew that they put the ball in play, they find holes, put together terrific at-bats. They get that lead early and you know the bullpen is coming in. That’s their M.O.—good starting pitching, terrific bullpen and a pesky offense. That’s exactly what they did tonight.”

The Royals were all business during the game, but they like to have fun afterward. Perez nailed Hosmer with his signature “Salvy Splash” while the latter was taking part in an interview on the field, via the Royals:

While the Kansas City fans may have thought it was great to draw a rematch with the Mets, Royals manager Ned Yost wasn’t a big fan, per the AP.

“It was just strange, the pregame ceremony. I think I would have enjoyed it more if we played another team,” Yost said. “For them to relive that, it’s a little awkward.”

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The Tampa Bay Rays became the first Major League Baseball team in 17 years to play a game in Cuba, defeating the national team, 4-1, in an exhibition in Havana on Tuesday. 

James Loney provided the fireworks on the field, driving in three runs for the Rays, two coming on this home run in the top of the fourth inning, as Baseball Tonight highlighted:

ESPN Stats & Info relayed the last time an MLB player accomplished what Loney did Tuesday:

The Rays also got a terrific start from Matt Moore, who is looking to rebound from a poor 2015 in which he finished with a 5.43 ERA in 12 starts after returning from Tommy John surgery. The left-hander hurled six shutout innings against Cuba, allowing six hits with three strikeouts and one walk.  

Cuba outhit the Rays, 9-5, but couldn’t keep moving the line to get any runs across against Moore. There were highlights for the Cuban team, though, particularly during the first at-bat of the game. This catch from center fielder Roel Santos drew quite the reaction from a notable fan in attendance, per SportsCenter:

While the final result on the field certainly held importance to the enthusiastic crowd in attendance, the game was about far more than just baseball. 

Never was that more apparent than before the game, when United States President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro took their seats in the front row to prepare for the first pitch, captured here by DRays Bay:

Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba were restored last year following a 54-year embargo dating back to 1961. 

Before the game, Obama wrote a letter on ESPN.com about why today’s game was so important in the bigger picture:

That’s what this visit is about: remembering what we share, reflecting upon the barriers we’ve broken — as people and as nations — and looking toward a better future. Because while I will not ignore the important differences between our governments, I came to Cuba to extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban people.

There are certainly substantial differences between the U.S. and Cuban governments that are not going to resolve themselves overnight. Time will hopefully lead to changes in that regard. This was about the power of sports and baseball as a unifying force. 

Former MLB pitcher and Cuban native Luis Tiant concluded the pregame festivities by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, via the Boston Red Sox’s official Twitter account:

Rays outfielder Dayron Varona, who defected from Cuba three years ago and signed with the team in 2015, had an emotional reunion with his family, captured in this image on Monday by Baseball Tonight:

Varona led off the game, grounding out on the first pitch he saw, and received a nice ovation from the crowd.

It was a light and fun atmosphere at the Estadio Latinoamericano, as is often the case during a baseball game. Obama even took part in one of the oldest fan traditions at a sporting event, per Joe Perticone of the Independent Journal:

Even though this was ultimately an exhibition game that didn’t count in the standings, Obama seemed to be invested in what was happened, per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports:

The Rays deserve a world of credit for being open to playing a game in Cuba and so willingly welcoming the opportunity, a point not lost on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred when he was interviewed on the ESPN telecast (via MLB.com’s Richard Justice):

No one was doing a better job of promoting the game and having more fun than Rays pitcher Chris Archer, who continues to be an awesome person to have around even when he’s not playing in the game. 

As Josh Vitale of the Charlotte Sun noted, Archer seemed to be enjoying his moment with the president and first lady Michelle Obama:

There was an amusing interview with Archer on the ESPN telecast in which he described part of the conversation with the president and first lady, via Faizal Khamisa of Sportsnet:

Luckily, Archer didn’t seem too upset about the president needing a brief introduction to his credentials. 

Another famous face in the stands was former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who in his usual way did an interview without saying much of anything. One notable item Jeter did address is the ever-expanding gulf between “old-school” and “new-school” players, as Pinstripe Alley shared:

Jeter is right about MLB being better with personalities. Archer, Bryce Harper and Jose Bautista are some of the league’s best and most exciting players. Let them be who they are, especially if it helps the game reach new audiences. 

In many ways, that was the metaphor for this game. Cuba is a baseball haven, and being able to bring MLB back to the country after a 17-year absence will only increase the fervor around the sport. The score didn’t matter as much as the feeling and emotion attached to it. 

Postgame Reaction

After an historic day on the field, Archer told MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez about his interaction with the Obama family:

I met the president and the first lady [Michelle Obama], and the first question I had for the first lady was why she didn’t respond to me on Twitter. Apparently, they don’t look at it as much as we do. It was awesome. [President Obama] complimented me not only on my ability but the way I carry myself and the way I speak. Coming from him, there’s really no higher compliment.

Archer was also complimentary of the first lady, saying, “I wanted to express my gratitude [for her work] with the youth in the community, and I made sure to tell her that anytime she wanted some help, I would be on board.”

Speaking on his outing, per Sanchez, Moore felt he wasn’t as consistent as he needs to be: “There definitely was not a lot of feel for what I was doing out there. I was just trying to get them out. As the innings went on—after the second the inning—it felt like things dialed in a little bit better.”

Moore did add that his overall experience was “something that I will definitely never forget.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash told Sanchez that this was likely a once-in-a-lifetime moment for everyone with the team:

We won’t experience anything like this again, so it was a very special day for Major League Baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays and all of our players, myself included. Most of the guys here have played winter ball in some capacity, but this is winter ball times 10 over here, with the passion the fans showed.

Everyone with the Rays seemed to be happy about taking part in this experience as well as being ambassadors for Major League Baseball. The day was, by all accounts, a massive success that will hopefully lead to more games like this taking place in Cuba.

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Honoring the late Yogi Berra’s legacy, the Kansas City Royals constantly proved it ain’t over till it’s over. The New York Mets led all five games of 2015’s MLB World Series, but Kansas City kept earning the last laugh, securing its first championship in 30 years.

It finished just how it had begun. Trailing in the ninth inning, Kansas City clawed back and sent both Game 1 and Game 5 into extra innings. Once free baseball arrived, their prolific bullpen silenced New York’s bats long enough for their pesky offense to eventually strike.

Anyone who says procrastination doesn’t pay didn’t watch Ned Yost’s crew constantly crash the party fashionably late. It wasn’t just the Mets getting their hearts broken, as the Houston Astros held a four-run lead over Kansas City during a winner-take-all Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

ESPN Stats & Info detailed the Royals’ late-game heroics, which ultimately decided the Fall Classic:

Defensive miscues plagued the Mets throughout the series, but a rare Royals defensive mishap nearly cost them Game 1. Eric Hosmer showcased shades of Bill Buckner when a Wilmer Flores grounder rolled past his glove on a tiebreaking run during the eighth frame.

Luckily for him, Alex Gordon erased the mistake with a ninth-inning homer off closer Jeurys Familia, who had not surrendered a run in 9.2 prior postseason innings. The first baseman exhaled after avoiding a place in infamy, per Fox Sports Kansas City’s Joel Goldberg:

By the series’ hectic standards, the ensuing two games proved anticlimactic. The National League champions couldn’t touch Johnny Cueto, who relinquished eight runs in his previous outing. The midseason acquisition who struggled throughout the summer suddenly regenerated into an ace, yielding two hits and one run through a complete-game victory.

Rany Jazayerli, a Grantland writer dating way back to last week, marveled over Cueto‘s redemption:

Meanwhile, Jacob deGrom couldn’t get anybody to miss. The same ace who recorded 27 strikeouts through three NL playoff starts recorded two punchouts and zero whiffs on his fastball.

“We win because we ride our starting pitching,” Mets manager Terry Collins said after Game 2, per Newsday‘s Marc Carig. “When they struggle, we’re going to struggle, and that’s what’s happened.”

These words proved increasingly prescient as the series progressed. He trusted Noah Syndergaard to escape a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning of Game 3, and Thor complied. In Citi Field’s first-ever World Series game, Collins lived by his young ace and survived. In the other games, his long leash spurred their demise.

Cruising early, rookie Steven Matz suddenly looked gassed during Game 4’s fifth inning, but he stayed in the sixth to cough up a second run. Rather than using Familia—who curiously pitched the previous night with a six-run lead—Collins turned to Tyler Clippard. The slumping setup man walked two batters, and Familia could not extinguish the burning building. 

“We never put our heads down,” catcher Salvador Perez told Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star after pelting the go-ahead RBI single off Familia. “Never. We like to compete. We like to play hard. And we’ll see what happens at the end of the game. That’s what we do every game.”

Game 5 seemed different. Matt Harvey, whose postseason availability started in doubt due to a potential innings limit, hurled eight scoreless inning in front of a raucous Queens crowd. The 26-year-old had finally cracked Kansas City’s code, collecting nine strikeouts to seemingly send the series back to Missouri.

Collins, a day after pulling Matz too late, was ready to call it a night for the Dark Knight and let Familia finalize the ninth. Harvey had other plans, coaxing his manager to finish what he started. Collins acquiesced to his pitcher’s plea of “no way,” but there was also no way the Royals would go down without a fight.

A Lorenzo Cain walk and Hosmer double quickly forced Collins to pull the plug. Familia generated three groundouts, but Hosmer aggressively bolted home on the second fielded by Lucas Duda. Trying to catch his fellow first baseman, Duda sailed the throw over Travis d’Arnaud‘s glove, erasing a 2-0 lead and all hope in Flushing.

Even if it wasn’t the right move, it worked. (This is also the working title of Yost’s biography.) Even Hosmer admitted to CNN’s Rachel Nichols that he thought he messed up: 

Kansas City crushed New York for a five-run 12th, commenced by an RBI single from Christian Colon in his first postseason at-bat. Because it’s the Royals.

“I lived it,” Colon said, per McCullough. “You know what I’m saying? I went to bed almost every night, thinking about this moment. And being ready for my team and for my family and everybody.”

On the losing side, Collins won’t dream of similarly pleasant thoughts at night. Per SportsCenter‘s Twitter feed, the 66-year-old skipper took responsibility for the team’s third late meltdown: 

The beast of the game leaves little time to reflect on a successful season. Each squad must make pivotal free-agent decisions this offseason. For the Royals, Cueto and Zobrist—who hit four doubles during the World Series—served their role as midseason mercenaries. Big paydays now loom for each, and Kansas City isn’t likely to sign those checks. Gordon, drafted by the team a decade ago, can opt to enter free agency. 

“I want to be back, trust me. This is my home,” Gordon declared after winning it all, per KCTV5.com’s Chris Oberholtz. “I love Kansas City. I love the fans. I love everything about Kansas City. I couldn’t see myself anywhere else. So, I hope it works out.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Murphy went from homering in six straight games to amassing as many defensive miscues as hits. Courtesy of MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, the second baseman sounds like someone aware of his six-year tenure in New York coming to a conclusion:

I’ve enjoyed my time here. I really have enjoyed my time here. This organization’s been great to me. I love the guys. I can’t sing their praises enough. I thought the fans were awesome this Series. I thought they brought energy. And I most certainly have enjoyed it. I’ve been in this organization since 2006. It makes me feel old to say it. That’s a long time. But I truly, truly enjoyed my time in this organization. I feel blessed to have been a Met this long.

Still, there will be plenty of time to play armchair general manager and plan for 2016 and beyond. While squandering late leads stings now, the Mets defied all expectations by winning the National League East instead of the Washington Nationals. After halting a nine-year playoff drought, they’ll return next year with Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard, Matz, d’Arnaud and Michael Conforto, painting a bright future.

A year after climbing as high as possible without reaping the rewards, the Royals erased the sour taste of a Game 7 World Series defeat. Every time they looked done, tracing all the way back to losing James Shields last winter, they bounced back.

Now they’re world champions.

“Never give up,” Cain said, per McCullough. “Never give up. Came through again. We’re the comeback kids, if you want to call us.” 

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The relentless Kansas City Royals earned their second World Series title in a convincing five-game triumph over the New York Mets thanks to their own ability to come through at the plate in the late innings—and the Mets’ failure to make plays when the game was on the line.

The Royals had come close in 2014, as they finished the World Series with the tying run on third base as the San Francisco Giants outlasted them in seven games. The Royals collectively said that falling short had motivated the team to get back to the World Series and win it this year (h/t Fred Kerber of the New York Post).

Throughout the postseason, the Royals’ ability to string rallies together played a key role in victories over the Houston Astros in the American League Divisional Series, the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series and the Mets in the World Series. They outscored those three teams 51-11 from the seventh inning on.

The difference was even more pronounced during the Fall Classic, as they outscored the Mets 15-1 from the seventh inning on.

They put the exclamation point on that differential when they scored five runs in the top of the 12th inning in Game 5, which turned out to be the clinching margin. 

The Mets certainly had their chances to come through during the series, but their inability to get the clutch hits cost them dearly in this series. They might have been able to overcome this issue, but their fielding let them down at key moments throughout the series.

Mets third baseman David Wright said the Royals’ ability to put late rallies together weighed on his team. 

“No lead is safe with these guys,’’ Wright told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. “You know they are going to make a run.

“This hurts, there’s no doubt about it. You’re talking about getting close to winning a World Series and that’s everybody in here’s dream, everybody in here’s goal. And then when you fall just short, it’s different emotions.”

Fielding was a big issue in the 2015 World Series. The Mets committed six errors, while the Royals made just two. However, the Mets were not charged with errors on several questionable plays.

First baseman Lucas Duda threw wildly to home as Eric Hosmer dashed in from third base to score the tying run with two outs in the ninth inning, but he was not charged with an error. Neither was center fielder Yoenis Cespedes when he kicked Alcides Escobar’s first-game, first-inning drive and turned what could have been a spectacular play into an inside-the-park home run.

Daniel Murphy had been one of the Mets’ postseason heroes in the rounds leading up to the World Series with his surprising power bat. However, he made key late-inning errors in Games 4 and 5 of the World Series.

Daniel Murphy again! For the 2nd straight game, he fails to field a grounder in a clutch situation.

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 2, 2015

The Mets appeared to have an advantage with their flame-throwing staff of starting pitchers at the start of the series. But the numbers show that the Royals starters were as good or better than their counterparts. 

New York ace Jacob deGrom had an earned-run average of 7.20 in the five-game World Series, while Noah Syndergaard registered a 4.50 mark, followed by Steven Matz with a 3.60 ERA and Matt Harvey’s 3.21.

The Royals starters were led by Johnny Cueto, who pitched a two-hit, complete-game gem in Game 2 and had a 1.00 ERA, while Edinson Volquez had a 3.00 mark, and Game 4 starter (and Game 1 reliever) Chris Young had a 2.57 ERA. The Mets lit up Yordano Ventura (13.57) in Game 3, but he was the only Kansas City starter that the Mets were able to hit hard.

The Royals also had a huge edge behind the plate, where Salvador Perez won the World Series Most Valuable Player award and outplayed Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud by a significant margin. Perez was 8-for-22 and batted .364 in the World Series with two RBI and two doubles. He also threw out two of three baserunners who attempted to steal.

The Mets’ catcher could not compete with his counterpart.  d’Arnaud was 3-for-19 at the plate (.158 batting average) and he had one RBI. Royals baserunners also took liberties with his arm as they stole seven bases without being thrown out. d’Arnaud did not come close on any of those stolen-base attempts.

On the surface, it seemed like the Mets had the edge in power, as they hit six home runs in the five-game series, while the Royals hit just two. However, the Royals lashed 13 extra-base hits, while the Mets had just seven (one double in addition to the six homers).

In the end, this World Series and the postseason will be remembered for Kansas City’s ability to come from behind and win. They trailed in eight of their 11 postseason victories, and seven of those comebacks were by two runs or more. 

That’s the exclamation point for a championship team that was on a mission from the first day of spring training until the last night of the season.

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The Kansas City Royals’ never-say-die attitude kept them alive throughout the postseason, and it helped them wrap up their first World Series title since 1985 with a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Another come-from-behind victory in Game 5—their eighth of the postseason—gave them a 4-1 series win over New York.

The Royals again defied reality, taking a 3-2 lead on a pinch-hit RBI single from the seldom-used Christian Colon in the top of the 12th inning. In fact, it was his first at-bat of the postseason. Here’s the game-winner, via the Royals’ Twitter account:

Some aggressive baserunning from first baseman Eric Hosmer tied the game up in the ninth after the Royals entered the inning down 2-0:

The heads-up play came after Mets starter Matt Harvey shut out the Royals through eight innings, then talked his way back onto the mound for the ninth before walking leadoff hitter Lorenzo Cain. Per baseball writer Molly Knight, Kansas City had a slim chance to win heading into the inning:

When the Royals took the lead on Colon’s hit, Kansas City’s Power and Light District was ready to celebrate a title:

When the Royals notched the final out, the celebration was on:

Any World Series win is great, but this one was historic, per Fox Sports Live: 

The Royals’ most historic player enjoyed watching the team win its first title since he helped clinch one 30 years ago, per CBS Sports:

Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez has made a living out of giving Gatorade baths to his teammates after victories, and he wasn’t letting manager Ned Yost get away from him tonight, per the Royals’ Twitter account:

Perez can do more than celebrate, though. He can play the game, too. The 25-year-old earned 2015 World Series MVP honors. He was all smiles when Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews presented him the trophy, per MLB on Twitter:

He was giving out hugs, too, and an extra-special one for Game 5 starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, whose father passed away on the same day he pitched Game 1, per the Royals’ Twitter account:

It’s one thing to celebrate on the field, but there was a bigger party in the clubhouse, as the Royals showed everyone:

It’s been 30 years in the making, but this win must feel good for the Royals, who came within 90 feet of tying the Giants in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series.

There is no reason to think this team won’t make a run at a third straight World Series appearance in 2016. It will have some decisions to make in the offseason, such as whether to make a run at re-signing midseason acquisition Johnny Cueto. Kansas City may also have to choose between Ben Zobrist and Alex Gordon.

For now, though, it’s all about 2015 and the franchise’s second World Series crown, per MLB’s Twitter account:

This win is a tribute to the players, Yost and upper management, especially general manager Dayton Moore. Yost was complimentary of Moore even before the Royals took the crown.

“He’s filled this team with a bunch of tremendous athletes with tremendous character and a will to win,” Yost said Thursday.

He has, and now all the hard work is paying off.

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Party like it’s 1985, Kansas City.

The Kansas City Royals survived a 12-inning roller-coaster ride Sunday during Game 5 of the World Series against the New York Mets, emerging with a 7-2 victory to capture the franchise’s first title in 30 years. The offense exploded for five runs in the top of the 12th and sent the Mets faithful streaming out of the Citi Field exits before closer Wade Davis officially shut the door on New York’s season.

While the Mets ultimately lost by five, they actually held a 2-0 lead heading into the 9th inning, when manager Terry Collins elected to leave starter Matt Harvey in to go for the complete game. Instead, Harvey allowed a walk and a hit, and closer Jeurys Familia blew his third save of the World Series.

Eric Hosmer scored on Salvador Perez’s groundout to tie the game at 2-2, although Lucas Duda had an opportunity to throw him out at home. MLB.com shared footage of the critical play:

The Royals won in extra innings, and pinch hitter Christian Colon drove in what proved to be the winning run in his first at-bat of the postseason. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com made a cruel connection for Mets fans:

The Royals poured it on in the 12th after Colon’s hit, and Lorenzo Cain put the game on ice with a three-run, bases-clearing double. SportsCenter highlighted the history of the moment for Kansas City:

The victors made a habit of crawling back from deficits in the Fall Classic, as Jon Morosi of Fox Sports 1 noted:

StatsCentre underscored why the Royals were able to come back so many times:

It was easy to overlook the pitching performances following Kansas City’s incredible rally. Even though his team lost, Harvey was brilliant, giving up just two earned runs in eight-plus innings. He was three outs away from forcing a Game 6 in Kansas City, and Katie Sharp of the Cauldron put his outing into perspective:

On the other side, Edinson Volquez allowed two earned runs in six innings and kept his team within striking distance throughout the game after falling behind early. The entire Royals pitching staff carried the team and allowed only four hits in 12 innings.

Emma Span of Sports Illustrated did not overlook New York’s offensive struggles against the Royals, even in the face of the decision to leave Harvey in and multiple defensive miscues down the stretch:

Although the Mets struggled at the plate Sunday, they wasted no time seizing a lead in the elimination contest. Curtis Granderson drilled a home run on an 0-2 pitch in New York’s first at-bat of the game to grab an early 1-0 lead. Granderson is now among some impressive company in World Series history, as Ace of MLB Stats highlighted:

It was more of the same for the Mets in the Fall Classic in leadoff situations, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:

The initial run proved to be critical, because both pitchers settled in throughout the middle stages of the game. Harvey allowed two hits in the first five innings and maintained the lead, while Volquez matched the Dark Knight pitch for pitch. In fact, Volquez didn’t allow a single hit outside of Granderson’s home run through those first five innings, and the Mets brought their 1-0 lead into the sixth.

Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star set the stage for Harvey in the critical frame:

Harvey proved his mettle and worked another scoreless inning, and Tim Rohan of the New York Times acknowledged the timing of the start likely had something to do with his performance:

New York gave Harvey more run support in the bottom of the sixth, when Duda extended the lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly. It wasn’t all good news for the Mets, because they loaded the bases with nobody out, but only managed to pick up the one run. What’s more, Yoenis Cespedes hit a foul ball off his leg and left the game after popping out.

Scott Miller of Bleacher Report described the scene:

The Mets loaded the bases in the first place because of an error from Hosmer. Matt Ehalt of the Record suggested the Royals did not look like themselves in the field:

Kansas City wasn’t itself at the plate for most of the game, either, thanks largely to Harvey’s dominance. The Mets ace worked another 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, and former pitcher and current ESPN analyst Curt Schilling believed Collins should have left Harvey in for one more frame:

The only reason there was any discussion about the impending decision was the fact that Harvey had set the record for the most innings in a season after Tommy John surgery with 216 after pitching the eighth, per ESPN Stats & Info. Collins decided to leave Harvey in the game, and the crowd responded in kind, as John Harper of the New York Daily News noted:

While it was a memorable moment, Cain worked a walk, stole a base and scored off Hosmer’s double to cut the lead to 2-1 in two batters. Collins replaced Harvey with Familia, leading Mike Puma of the New York Post to comment on the developments:

Hosmer moved to third on a groundout from Mike Moustakas, which ultimately proved critical. Salvador Perez, the next batter, grounded out to third, but Hosmer broke for the plate on David Wright’s throw to first. Duda had a chance to throw Hosmer out at home, but he threw it over Travis d’Arnaud’s head and the Royals tied the game.

Sports Illustrated praised Hosmer’s game-shifting play:

Baseball Tonight highlighted Familia’s infamous place in the sport’s history, even though he deserved better Sunday:

The Mets did not score in the bottom of the ninth, and the game went to extra innings for the second time in the World Series. The two bullpens forced an 11th inning, making this the first World Series since 1991 to feature two games of 11 frames or more, per Sharp.

Neither team scored in the 11th, but Kansas City threatened in the 12th when Perez singled and Jarrod Dyson stole second as a pinch runner. Adam Rubin of ESPN.com pointed to a problem from the Mets’ perspective:

The steal proved to be crucial because Dyson moved to third on Alex Gordon’s groundout and scored on Colon’s single. The fact that it was Colon’s first at-bat of the postseason underscored how clutch the Royals performed throughout the playoffs. Bob Nightengale of USA Today described Kansas City’s mettle:

Things took a turn for the worse for the Mets after Colon’s hit. Daniel Murphy committed a critical error, Alcides Escobar doubled and Cain broke the game open with a bases-clearing double. Just like that, it was 7-2 with only one out in the inning.

That was more than enough for the nearly unhittable Davis, who finished the game with a scoreless bottom of the 12th. Ryan Krasnoo of Sports Illustrated was in awe of Kansas City’s season:

As Krasnoo alluded to, the Royals looked like the best team in baseball throughout the playoffs. It’s hard to argue with the result.

Postgame Reaction

It was time to party for the Royals the moment Davis recorded the last out. MLB passed along the final strike and subsequent celebration:

The revelry didn’t stop on the field, as the Royals highlighted:

MLB also named the World Series MVP following the contest:

The celebration was possible because Hosmer scored on the game-turning play in the ninth inning. Hosmer discussed his decision-making process, per Baseball Tonight:

Manager Ned Yost talked about the one thing he would like to take back, because the World Series MVP wasn’t on the field for the final out, per Jon Tayler of Sports Illustrated: “I think if I had one regret this whole postseason, it was having to pinch run for Sal Perez in the 12th.” 

As for the Mets, the fans who stuck around to the end were appreciative of the incredible season and unlikely run to the World Series. Steve Gelbs of SportsNet New York captured a moving moment after the game:

Kevin Kernan of the New York Post did the same:

Even though the Mets greeted their fans, there was still an air of disappointment in the locker room. Collins discussed his decision to leave Harvey in at the start of the ninth inning, per Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated: “I let my heart get in the way of my gut.”

Harvey also talked about it and said “unfortunately I couldn’t finish what I started,” per Ehalt.

Even with the Harvey decision, the Mets would have won if Duda threw Hosmer out at the plate. Collins realized that, per Rohan: “Good throw, he’s out.” 

The Mets and their fans will remember those critical moments throughout the long winter.

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The New York Mets were five outs away from tying the World Series at two games apiece, but disaster struck in the top of the eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals captured a 5-3 Game 4 win Saturday at Citi Field. 

After reliever Tyler Clippard walked a pair of batters with one out, closer Jeurys Familia came in to face Eric Hosmer. The Royals slugger’s softly hit ball slid under second baseman Daniel Murphy’s glove, which allowed Ben Zobrist to score the tying run from second.

At that point, the Royals smelled blood in the water. With the game knotted at three, Mike Moustakas singled home the go-ahead run, and Salvador Perez followed up with a single to stretch Kansas City’s lead to two. 

According to the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info), the Royals have tied the 1996 New York Yankees with six wins after trailing by multiple runs in a single postseason. 

Familia became the first player to blow two saves in a World Series since Ryan Madson in 2008, per StatsCentre on Twitter. Madson, who came on in relief for the Royals in the seventh, was credited with the win. 

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick provided an apt description of the game’s decisive half-inning: 

New York threatened with two men on and one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Lucas Duda lined out softly to third in what amounted to a game-ending double-play as Yoenis Cespedes got caught cheating off first.  

Thanks to the timely rally, the Royals are on the verge of capturing their first World Series title since 1985. Incidentally, the last team to erase a 3-1 series deficit and win the World Series was Kansas City 30 years ago, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. 

Steven Matz made just his ninth career start Saturday night, but it would have been hard to glean that the 24-year-old lacked experience based on the way he handled Royals batters in the early going. 

The rookie mixed up his fastball and curveball to keep hitters guessing, and he finished the night with five strikeouts while allowing two runs and seven hits over five innings. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Matz’s five strikeouts through four innings were more than Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom combined to tally in Games 1 and 2. 

Matz displayed vulnerability in the fifth and sixth innings, though. The Royals posted two runs on five hits in those innings against the Mets’ starter before he was pulled with nobody out in the sixth.

Royals starter Chris Young didn’t allow a hit over the first two innings, but Michael Conforto’s solo blast in the third inning put the Mets up 1-0 before Curtis Granderson recorded a sacrifice fly to score Wilmer Flores and double New York’s lead.

Baseball scribe Jonah Keri was among those impressed by Conforto’s tape-measure shot: 

Conforto wasn’t done. The 22-year-old also launched a 400-foot bomb to right center to give the Mets a 3-1 lead in the fifth. With a pair of jacks, Conforto became the first player since Pablo Sandoval in 2012 to record a multi-homer game in the World Series, per Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan. 

Young appeared in control over the first two frames against the heart of the Mets’ order, but as Passan noted, the 36-year-old struggled with his location from the third inning on: 

The journeyman’s Game 4 stint lasted just four innings, but the Royals’ relievers did a nice job silencing the Mets’ bats. Other than Conforto’s solo shot off Danny Duffy, Kansas City’s bullpen combined to allow three hits over the final five innings. 

For the Royals, Saturday was another display of exceptional mental fortitude. In typical Kansas City fashion, the American League champions kept chipping away, and ultimately, their persistence paid off. 

Now, the Royals are one win away from hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy. 

And according to WhoWins.com, only five teams in 43 chances have come back from 3-1 down to win the World Series. The odds are firmly in Kansas City’s favor entering Sunday’s Game 5 (8:15 p.m. ET). Matt Harvey is currently scheduled to take the mound against Edinson Volquez with the Mets’ season on the line.

Postgame Reaction

Following the win, Moustakas discussed his team’s come-from-behind effort with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

In the Mets’ clubhouse, Murphy owned his costly error.

“I misplayed it,” Murphy said, per the New York Daily News‘ Peter Botte. “There’s no excuse for it. We lost the ballgame because of it.” 

However, David Wright hesitated to blame the Mets’ second baseman for the loss. 

“That’s not the reason why we lost this game,” Wright said, according to DiComo. “That’s definitely not the reason why we lost this game.” 

“There’s some anger and some emotion right now,” Wright added, per DiComo. “It’s not the ideal position. But we dug this hole for ourselves.”

Cespedes also addressed his baserunning blunder, per Botte: “I thought it was going to touch the grass,” the outfielder told reporters. “I didn’t think it would be a double play.”

Cespedes and Co. will try to atone for Saturday’s loss against Volquez, who will be pitching in honor of his late father. 

“I’m pretty sure my dad is going to be proud of me when I pitch tomorrow,” Volquez told reporters after Game 4, according to the Kansas City Star‘s Chris Fickett.

“I want to pitch,” he added, per the Hartford Courant‘s Jeff Jacobs. “I want to make people proud. That’s what I love.”

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The Kansas City Royals are one victory away from winning the 2015 World Series crown. For the second time this series, they orchestrated a late rally to upend the New York Mets, extending their lead to 3-1.

New York entered the eighth inning up 3-2, but Kansas City drew two walks off Tyler Clippard before a costly Daniel Murphy error squandered the lead. Two more hits off closer Jeurys Familia extended the edge to 5-3, which held up as the final score.

Steven Matz, who started the season in Single-A, threw five stunning innings. But the rookie pitcher coughed up a second run in the sixth inning, the furthest he has pitched this postseason. Michael Conforto, who also started the season in Single-A, belted two homers that went to waste.

The Royals continued to chip away with nine hits, including Ben Zobrist’s fourth double of the series. Exclaimed by a two-out save from Wade Davis, the bullpen quieted the Mets to one run through five frames. They can now finish the series Sunday night. 

FINAL: Royals 5, Mets 3

Royals Lead Series 3-1 

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The New York Mets bats fell silent in Game 2 of the World Series, but they made a serious racket in Friday’s 9-3 Game 3 win over the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. 

One game after mustering two hits against Johnny Cueto, the Mets offense came alive against Yordano Ventura. In 3.1 innings, Kansas City’s starter surrendered seven hits and five earned runs, which proved to be all New York needed.

Third baseman David Wright—who entered Friday night with three RBI in the postseason—went 2-for-5 with four RBI, including a two-run single in the sixth to blow things open.

According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, the four runs Wright plated were the second-most by a Mets player in a World Series game. Rusty Staub tallied five in Game 4 of the 1973 Fall Classic.

Mets starter Noah Syndergaard was touched up early in the first World Series start of his career, but the 23-year-old regained his composure and struck out six over six innings. The flamethrower also retired 12 straight batters at one point before calmly working out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning. 

Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal pointed to Syndergaard’s poise as a turning point: 

Syndergaard came out throwing serious heat, but Kansas City wasn’t fazed. The Royals struck first on an RBI groundout from Eric Hosmer in the game’s opening frame, and the American League champions went on to rack up six hits over the game’s first two innings.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman broke down how the Royals were able to succeed at the plate early on:

But for a change, the Mets had enough offense to keep pace—and then some. New York entered the night batting .220 in the playoffs, but it supplied Syndergaard with encouraging run support in the first inning thanks to a two-run bomb from Wright:

The blast was the second of Wright’s career in postseason play, per ESPN Stats & Info, and it wasn’t the last ball the Mets would launch into the Citi Field stands.

After the Royals posted two runs in the second inning, Curtis Granderson poked one over the right field wall in the third to propel the Mets back in front.

As ESPN Stats & Info diagrammed, the shallow dimensions in right field allowed Granderson’s ball to clear the fences:

The Mets even got contributions at the plate from Syndergaard (1-for-2 with a run scored) and pinch hitter Juan Uribe, who singled home a run in his first plate appearance since Sept. 25 to give his side a 6-3 lead in the sixth.

It’s hard to overstate how important the Game 3 win was for the Mets. Had they lost, it would have effectively been a death sentence.

In league history, no team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the World Series to win, according to WhoWins.com, while teams with 2-1 leads are 55-27 when it comes to closing out the World Series.

The team will task Steven Matz with drawing the Mets even when Game 4 gets underway Saturday night (8:07 p.m. ET).

“This is where you want to be in baseball,” Matz said, per the Kansas City Star‘s Chris Fickett. “This is the dream. This is what you write up in your backyard when you’re playing wiffle ball.”

The Royals will hand the ball to Chris Young, who would love to stick it to his former team as Kansas City attempts to seize control of the World Series and ward off the hard-charging Mets.

Post-Game Reaction

The Royals evidently weren’t pleased with Syndergaard’s decision to open the game with some high heat against Alcides Escobar, according to the Kansas City Stars Andy McCullough: 

Hosmer had a take on the situation as well, per the Kansas City Star’s Vahe Gregorian: 

According to Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller, Syndergaard responded with a challenge: 

Mets manager Terry Collins had no problems with his pitcher’s performance, per the team’s official Twitter account: 

The Mets’ captain also drew high praise. 

“He’s David Wright for a reason,” Mets pitcher Tyler Clippard said, per DiComo. “No moment is too big for him.” 

With Friday’s win in hand, the Mets will try and sustain a crazy trend.

When the Mets won the World Series in 1986, they lost Games 1 and 2 by one and six runs, respectively, before winning Game 3 by six. This year, the Mets have posted the exact same margins in their first three World Series games, per B/R Insights. 

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The New York Mets were the team that entered the World Series with their championship hopes pinned to their dominant starting pitchers. Alas, it was Johnny Cueto who controlled the Kansas City Royals’ 7-1 victory in Wednesday’s Game 2 of the Fall Classic with a complete-game effort to give his team a commanding 2-0 lead.

Cueto threw 122 pitches and allowed two hits and three walks on the way to his most memorable performance in a Kansas City uniform. It resembled the gem he threw against the Houston Astros in the Divisional Series and was a welcome moment for the pitcher considering he struggled with the Royals during the regular season after they acquired him at the trade deadline. 

Molly Knight, author of The Best Team Money Can Buy:The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Wild Struggle to Build a Baseball Powerhouse, suggested all the past struggles were worth it for Wednesday’s outing:

The Mets only managed two singles from Lucas Duda throughout the entire game. It was the first complete game in the World Series by an American League pitcher since Jack Morris did so for the Minnesota Twins in 1991.

As for the Mets, Jacob deGrom lost his first game of the postseason and allowed four runs, six hits and three walks over five arduous innings. He threw 94 pitches because Kansas City consistently spoiled his best efforts and worked deep into counts.

Eric Hosmer’s two-run single in the fifth inning broke the 1-1 tie, and the Royals never looked back.

Jon Niese gave up three runs out of the Mets bullpen in the bottom of the eighth when the Royals strung four hits and a sacrifice fly together in the span of five batters, which essentially ended the game.

In best-of-seven World Series history, 51 teams have taken a 2-0 lead, and 41 of them have capitalized with a championship. The Royals will look to become No. 42 over the course of the next few days.

Comments

Cueto and the pitching performances were the main focus of conversation in both clubhouses following Kansas City’s victory.

Hosmer praised the pitcher, per Anthony DiComo and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com: “He’s been good here at home, but you could tell he was locked in those first couple innings. When he was missing spots, he wasn’t out over the plate. It was either a hair off in or out. He was electric tonight.

Hosmer offered even more admiration for Cueto, per Erik Boland of Newsday: “That’s what an ace does…he pretty much went out there and put the team on his back.”

Third baseman Mike Moustakas discussed his team’s approach against deGrom, per DiComo and Flanagan: “He’s a great pitcher. We’re putting the ball in play all night and just weren’t catching any breaks. We kept battling throughout the game, and then caught a break.”

While Moustakas focused on deGrom and New York’s pitching, Mets manager Terry Collins noted Cueto’s “change up was good” and that he “effectively pitched in,” per Boland. Collins also summed up Kansas City’s trade deadline approach with Cueto, “He’s good. That’s why they went out and got him.”

It wasn’t just Cueto who beat the Mets. The Kansas City offense gradually wore away at deGrom and the rest of the pitchers, and Collins pointed that out after the game as well, per Boland: “they live up to what people say, they put the ball in play.”

deGrom did not live up to what people say with his lackluster outing, although pitching coach Dan Warthen does not think his ace hit any type of late-season wall, per David Lennon of Newsday: “No, no. I still think we’re going to win this thing.”

deGrom was equally confident after the game, per DiComo: “We’ve still got to win four. We’re going home and we like playing at home. Hopefully we win those three there.”

The Mets still have reason to be confident after winning the National League, but third baseman David Wright acknowledged a stark reality, per Matt Ehalt of the Record: “I think they’ve outplayed us. Simple as that. When you pitch better, hit better, play defense better you’re normally going to win.” 

Wright reiterated that stance, per Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal: “It’s not so much what we haven’t done. It’s what they’ve done.”

What’s Next?

Game 3 is Friday back in New York, and the Mets will turn to Noah Syndergaard.

Syndergaard has been dynamic throughout the playoffs with a 2.77 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings. He even came out of the bullpen in a Divisional Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and helped the Mets clinch a spot in the National League Championship Series.

Like many of the Mets pitchers this postseason, Syndergaard has been a strikeout machine. The only problem with that is the Royals put the ball in play and struck out a whopping three times Wednesday.

Whichever style of play wins out in the next contest will likely dictate the game’s outcome, although the Mets will have a raucous Citi Field behind them Friday. They are 3-1 there this postseason and must find a way to win two of the next three if they plan on keeping their season alive.

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