Royals: Looking back on the 2015 World Series, Game 1

After a disappointing end in 2014, the Kansas City Royals looked to get a leg up on the New York Mets for the 2015 World Series.

Major players for New York in 2015 included first baseman Lucas Duda (Royals fans will remember his two runs with the team recently) who clubbed 27 home runs, right fielder Curtis Granderson who hit his way to a .259/.364/.457 slash, 23-year-old Wilmer Flores who smacked 16 dingers while plugging the shortstop position, and David Wright who battled injuries most of the year but brought a spark back to the team when he returned in August and produced a 126 OPS+ in just under 200 plate appearances.

The real lifeblood of the team rested with the pitching. Led by stars such as Jacob deGrom who tied for team lead in wins with 14, produced a WHIP of 0.98 and struck out 9.7 hitters per nine innings, Matt Harvey who was 13-8 with a 1.02 WHIP and 8.9 SO/9, Noah Syndergaard whose ERA+ of 117 was behind only deGrom and Harvey for starters, and Jeurys Familia who nailed down 43 saves with a 1.85 ERA and 207 ERA+.

Also contributing where Bartolo Colon, who at the young age of 42 posted 14 wins in 31 starts Jon Niese who provided quality innings over 29 games started.

The Mets had a great season finishing 90-72 and winning the National League East title comfortably. They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series three games to two and then swept the Chicago Cubs in four straight games to advance. That gave New York a five-day layoff, two more than the Kansas City Royals, before starting the World Series.

Taking the mound for the Mets was the “Dark Knight” Harvey. He won both of his starts in the playoffs inducing 16 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings of work. The Kansas City Royals would counter with Edinson Volquez who had a similar record at 13-9 but not as impressive Sabermetrics as Harvey and struggled in three prior playoff starts giving up 12 walks, 10 hits, and eight earned runs in just 17 2/3 frames.

Let us take a look at how Game 1 played out in three segments of the contest.

I said wow! I have a chance to make this,” Escobar said. “That’s nice. That’s a lot of fun right there.” Alcides Escobar – USA Today

Volquez answered the first round in fine form retiring the side in order. Granderson flew out to left, Wright fouled out to right and Daniel Murphy went down swinging. Then the Kansas City Royals came up and the stadium was rocking after the first at-bat.

We know how Alcides Escobar was not one to take pitches and he took advantage of a first-pitch fastball to drill a ball that should have been caught by Yonenis Cespedes but took a ricochet away from the outfielders and allowed the thrilling start to the Royals home half of the first. This was a feat that had not been accomplished since 1929.

Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain were then retired by Cespedes and following an Eric Hosmer walk, Kendrys Morales grounded out to first ending the inning. Volquez shut down the Mets 1-2-3 again in the second. Harvey struggled in the Kansas City Royals half of the inning allowing a single to Salvador Perez and a walk to Alex Gordon but managed to escape shutting down Alex Rios and Escobar without a run crossing the plate.

Volquez retired the first two batters in the third making that eight straight to begin the game, however, he then plunked Kelly Johnson and walked Granderson before getting Wright to strike out looking. Harvey cruised through the third setting down Zobrist, Cain, and Hosmer in order.

The second time through the lineup for the Mets allowed them to get to Volquez as Murphy, Duda and Travis d’Arnaud all singled allowing one runner to cross the plate and tie the game. Volquez was able to strand two Mets to end the visitors half of the inning. Harvey once again went 1-2-3 against Kansas City Royals and after nearly half the game has gone by we are tied at one.

With game one and possibly momentum for the entire series on the line, can the Kansas City Royals get to one of the most dominant closers of 2015?

As we head into the fifth, it looks like the New York Mets are beginning to figure out Volquez and sure enough Granderson drills a ball over the fence to give the visitors their first lead of the game, 2-1. That was the first round-tripper for the slugger in the 2015 playoffs.

Harvey is starting to perform like a broken record as he once again puts the Kansas City Royals down in order.  And the Mets continue to chip away at Volquez putting together singles by Cespedes and Duda and then a sacrifice fly from Michael Conforto to push the lead to 3-1.

The Royals finally start to play Joker to the Dark Knight when Zobrist doubles to right field and Cain singles to put runners on the corners. Hosmer promptly smacks a ball to center that is caught but does chase Zobrist home.  Cain swipes second base and is rewarded when Mike Moustakas singles to score him.  And just like that, we are knotted up.

Following a season in which in made 24 starts in 30 appearances, Danny Duffy plays the reliever role entirely for the 2015 postseason run.  He comes in to face a couple of left-handers (although Johnson is pinch hit for by righty Michael Cuddyer) and gets both hitters.  Kelvin Herrera is now charged with finishing the frame and despite a couple of base hits, he is able to hold the Mets scoreless.

Addison Reed replaces Harvey for the bottom of the seventh.  Reed came over from Arizona during the year and in 17 games performed very well with an ERA+ of 332  and a 1.17 ERA.  He has no trouble setting the Royals down in order.

Despite already facing three batters, Herrera stays in the game.  After recording a strikeout and a flyout, a single is given up to Juan Lagares.  Lagares swipes second and then the normally sure-handed Hosmer allows a ball to skip by him and the go-ahead run to score.

Tyler Clippard comes in for the Mets and despite a great year in relief, he gives up a double to Zobrist to lead off.  After two strikeouts Clippard throws a wild pitch letting Zobrist advance to third.  A walk to Morales spells the end of Clippard and Familia is brought in to close out the game.  He succeeds in this inning getting Moustakas to groundout.

Luke Hochevar works the ninth for the Kansas City Royals and maneuvers around a single to shut down New York.  Kansas City is down to three outs to tie or win the game. Perez is the first one to get a shot but he is thrown out by the shortstop.

And what a magical moment is produced as Gordon takes Familia over the 410-foot wall in center field to tie the game! That was the first dinger allowed by Familia in is first ten innings of postseason baseball.  Paulo Orlando and Escobar were set down after this but the damage was done and we are on to free baseball.