Royals: Revisiting the 2015 World Series, Game 3

The Kansas City Royals are off to a hot start in the quest for the trophy and a Game 3 win in New York would put the Mets in an almost impossible situation.

Following the dramatic five extra innings of baseball in Game 1 and Johnny Cueto‘s dominant performance in Game 2, the Kansas City Royals head to the Big Apple to see if they can make quick work of this World Series.

What awaits KC though is the pressure of playing in the large spotlight of New York. And heartbreak can occur on the Mets’ home field, just ask any Boston Red Sox fan about the ball trickling under Bill Buckner‘s glove.

Going to battle on this evening was Yordano Ventura for Kansas City and Noah Syndergaard for New York. “Ace” had started four games between the American League Divisional and Championship Series’ posting an 0-1 record with 21 strikeouts in just under 18 innings, but also with a WHIP north of 1.50. Meanwhile, “Thor” had looked very sharp in his first three playoff appearances (two starts) against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

The lineups were pretty consistent with the first two contests with the exception of the designated hitter being out of play in the National League ballpark putting Kendrys Morales on the bench for the Kansas City Royals. Michael Conforto received the nod over Juan Lagares in the outfield for the Mets. As a nod to their last World Series team, Mike Piazza threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Syndergaard decided to let the Kansas City Royals know right off the bat that the Mets were not going to go down without a fight. Knowing the tendency of Alcides Escobar to swing at first pitches and the inside-the-park homer in Game 1, he delivered a purpose pitch. Many of the Royals players took offense to this type of baseball and with that, we are off and running in Game 3.

The New York Mets double their home run pleasure in the first three innings of the contest.

Following the first brushback pitch, Syndergaard gets Escobar to strike out swinging. Ben Zobrist hits a double and an infield single by Lorenzo Cain puts runners on the corners with one out. Eric Hosmer grounds into a potential double-play but confusion on who should cover the relay throw to first allows Hosmer to reach safely and Zobrist to score putting the Royals up 1-0.

David Wright brings the Citi Field crowd to its feet following a leadoff single from Curtis Granderson with a blast to left-center fields and the Mets are now up 2-1 after just one inning. The Kansas City Royals play their scrappy kind of baseball and singles by Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon, and Alex Rios to start the second lead to a run (Gordon is thrown out trying to advance to third).

Ventura then bunts Rios to third base and that turns out to be big as a passed ball by Travis d’Arnaud leads to another run and Kansas City is back on top 3-2. Escobar is now batting with the bases clean and exacts some revenge by singling and then stealing second base but he is left stranded there when Zobrist flies out to center field.

“Ace” is able to get the Mets 1-2-3 in their half of the second and “Thor” returns the favor as the Royals bat in the top of the third. New York repeats their success of the first inning thanks to a leadoff single by Syndergaard and a home run from Granderson to put the home team back in front 4-3. After just three innings of baseball seven runs have already crossed home plate.

The Kansas City Royals try to keep the game within reach as Syndergaard settles down and the Mets keep hitting.

For the second inning in a row, the Royals go down in order in the fourth.  Ventura comes out in the home half of the inning and surrenders three consecutive hits to Lucas Duda, d’Arnaud, and Conforto add another run to the Mets total.  After a pop out to Wilmer Flores, Danny Duffy is summoned to the mound and ends the inning.

Syndergaard puts down Kansas City 1-2-3 in the fifth meanwhile Luke Hochevar takes over for Royals and has strikeouts to bookmark the inning with just a harmless single given up to Yoenis Cespedes.

The top of the sixth would be a key point for the Kansas City Royals.  After Cain and Hosmer are retired on swinging strikeouts, the bases become loaded due to a single by Mike Moustakas and walks to Perez and Gordon.

Only down 5 to 3, this will be a great chance to tie the game or take the lead.  Alex Rios, however, grounds out to Flores ending the rally and Kansas City is still down by two.

Franklin Morales enters the fray and after d’Arnaud grounds out to Escobar to begin the inning, singles by Lagares, who pinch-hit for Conforto, and Flores getting dotted with a pitch places a runner in scoring position.

Juan Uribe pinch hits for Syndergaard and rips a single to right field scoring another run.  Kelvin Herrera now enters for the Royals to attempt to stop the bleeding but allows a single, walk and sac fly for two more runs and the Mets now lead 9-3.

The inning looked like a chance for the Kansas City Royals to pull some magic and take back the game but ends with New York seemingly putting the contest out of reach.