October 28, 2015, Queens, NY This was the longest Game One in World Series history, and the two teams are evenly matched. It was only fitting this game went into extra innings with the Kansas City Royals coming out on top beating the New York Mets 5-4, to take Game One of the 2015 World Series.
The Kansas City Royals last won the World Series in 1985; the New York Mets won the following year, in 1986. In the first extra inning, the tenth, Royals reliever Wade Davis struck out the side. Mets starter turned reliever, Jonathon Niese, returned the favor and was equally formidable with a three-up and three-down inning.
The Mets threatened to score leaving two men aboard, and Niese pitched another scoreless inning thanks to a great play by Curtis Granderson. Royals reliever Chris Young answered by striking out the side. Bartolo Colon was brought in to pitch in the twelfth inning. The 42-year old got out of a bases-loaded jam. On to the thirteenth.
Chris Young pitched another strong inning of relief, only yielding a two-out walk to Wilmer Flores and then getting Kirk Nieuwenhuis to hit a foul pop-up for the third and final out. Colon surrendered a lead-off hit to Mike Moustakas. Colon got Salvador Perez to pop out, and then Alex Gordon grounded out moving Moustakas to second base. Paulo Orlando hit a grounder to Wilmer Flores who threw him out at first base.
Chris Young pitched the fourteenth inning. He got Curtis Granderson to ground out, David Wright to fly out, and Daniel Murphy to pop up. In the bottom of the fourteenth, the Royals loaded the bases with nobody out, and Eric Hosmer hit a fly ball that was way too deep, with a way too speedy runner at third, (Alcides Escobar) who scored the winning run. It was a well-played and managed game, and it appears this series will go at least six games.
The Royals got on the board first when their shortstop, Alcides Escobar, hit the first pitch thrown by Matt Harvey to deep center field, but it was very playable. Indecision by outfielders Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto led to the ball dropping between them and allowing a speedy Escobar to round the bases for an inside-the-park homer.
Matt Harvey settled down, and the Mets scored one run in three consecutive innings, (the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings). The fifth inning run was scored courtesy of a Curtis Granderson home run. The Royals scored two in the sixth to tie the game 3-3, and the Mets were able to score an unearned run in the eighth.
Going into the ninth inning with a 4-3 lead, the Mets seemed poised to take game one with their ace reliever, Jeurys Familia, on the mound. He hadn’t blown a save since July 30th. With two outs, Royals left fielder Alex Gordon hit a bomb off of Familia to tie the score, 4-4, and then the Marathon began.
Game Two will feature a pitching match up between the Mets’ Jacob deGrom going against Johnny Cueto.
Professor Clifford Benton can be reached at @cliffordbenton.