Royals: Looking back on the 2015 World Series, Game 4

After a Game 3 loss, the Kansas City Royals look to get the World Series back on track as they again face the Mets at Citi Field.

In Game 3 of the 2015 World Series, the Kansas City Royals were unable to continue their win streak with a loss to the Mets. This was the first game of the series that was played at the Mets’ home stadium in New York, Citi Field.

For Game 4, the Royals would again be at Citi Field and be without their home field crowd. If the Royals wanted to finish out this World Series without losing another game, though, they would have to figure out a way to win in New York.

Getting the start for the Royals in Game 4 was veteran Chris Young. Young had played multiple roles for the Royals in 2015, starting multiple games, but also appearing in relief as needed. Young had put together a good regular season, holding a record of 11-6, with a 3.06 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 123.1 innings.

Taking the mound for the Mets was Steven Matz. Matz did not spend a lot of time in the majors in 2015, partially due to an injury, but the time he spent with the Mets was productive. Matz started 6 games, finishing the regular season with a 4-0 record, an ERA of 2.27 and 34 strikeouts over 35.2 innings.

While they knew it wouldn’t be easy, the Royals needed a win in Game 4 if they wanted to keep the advantage. Young was ready to take the start and keep the Royals in the game as long as he could. On October 31, 2015, in front of the New York crowd of 44,815 fans, Game 4 of the World Series got started.

The Kansas City Royals hoped to get the game moving quickly before the Mets could pull ahead for the lead.

Game 4 got off to a fairly quiet start. Alcides Escobar was the first batter up for the Kansas City Royals. He knocked a single to center, hoping to set a tone for the game. Matz was able to pull the inning together, though, pitching Ben Zobrist into a double play, and Lorenzo Cain into a flyball to end the top of the first.

Chris Young followed Matz, sitting all three Mets batters he faced. The second inning went a similar direction. Matz gave up a single to Salvador Perez with two outs but quickly recorded the third out. Young followed up again looking strong, going three up three down.

To begin the third, Matz found his groove. He sat all three Royals in order without giving up a hit. Unfortunately for Young, he was not so lucky in the bottom of the third. On his first pitch, Young gave up a home run to Michael Conforto, followed by a single from Wilmer Flores. On a wild pitch, Flores advanced to second, and eventually to third on a bunt groundout.

With one out, Curtis Granderson hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Flores to score. Young followed up with a walk to David Wright but finally recorded the third out on a pop fly from Daniel Murphy.

Things started to quiet down again in the fourth as the Kansas City Royals were unable to get bats going. Matz continued strong, sitting all three Royals. Young bounced back, putting the third behind him and retiring all three Mets in order, leaving the score a 2-0 Mets.

Though Young had a shaky third inning, he kept the Kansas City Royals within striking distance.

In the top of the fifth, the Royals looked to get things started. With one out, Perez doubled to center, followed up by a single from Alex Gordon, allowing Perez in for the run. Matz followed up by recording the second out. At this time, the Royals put Kendrys Morales in the lineup to pinch hit for Young. Morales hit a single to second, but Matz was able to secure the third out shortly after.

With Young now out of the game, the Royals brought in Danny Duffy to pitch the bottom of the fifth. Duffy didn’t start the inning very strong, giving up a home run to Michael Conforto to start. Luckily, he was able to pull himself together. Other than a single from Granderson, Duffy finished the inning without further score.

In the top of the sixth, the Royals hoped to keep the game moving. Zobrist started off with a double to center, followed by a single from Cain, batting in Zobrist. At this time, the Mets replaced Matz with Jon Niese. Cain stole second with Niese on the mound, but he started strong, quickly recording two outs.

The Mets decided on another pitching change, bringing in Bartolo Colon to replace Niese. Cain again stole a base, almost getting picked off at second but running to third on an error. Not wanting to allow the Royals any closer, though, Colon quickly shut down the inning.

For the bottom of the sixth, the Royals brought in Luke Hochevar to replace Duffy. Hochevar made quick work of the Mets batters, sitting three in order. The seventh innings went off in a similar fashion.

Addison Reed replaced Colon for the Mets. Reed sat all three Kansas City batters, recording a strikeout on Jarrod Dyson who came in to pinch-hit for Hochevar. Ryan Madson stepped in for the Royals and pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh, sitting his three batters as well, ending the seventh with a score of 3-2 Mets.