But the result hadn’t been seen for decades. Escobar sent the pitch soaring through the rain to left-center field.
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Moments later came the word from official scorekeeper David Boyce. It was the first time since the very first World Series in 1903 that a batter hit a lead-off inside-the-park homer in the Fall Classic, and the first time someone hit a first-pitch lead-off homer of any kind in the World Series since Derek Jeter did it against the Mets in 2000.
In 1929, George “Mule” Haas of the Philadelphia Athletics turned the trick against the Cubs. We’re in the World Series and it’s got to be caught.
Can Curtis Granderson have another night like the one he did in returning to the World Series for the first time since his rookie season, when his solo home run in the fifth inning cleared the right field wall by inches, when his daring, leaping stab of Kendrys Morales’ 11th-inning leadoff fly ball kept the Mets in the game? The ball dropped and hit off Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes’ leg then rolled away from him and Michael Conforto.
The inside-the-park could have been an out because the ball was catchable until left fielder Michael Conforto and Cespedes looked at each other as it was descending. I had a shot to catch that ball.
It was Escobar’s second career postseason home run.
Will Mets’ heretofore flawless closer Jeurys Familia forget the ninth-inning game-tying home run he gave up to Alex Gordon?
Kansas City Royals’ Alcides Escobar, right, celebrates his on a… They never trailed in their sweep of the Cubs in the National League Championship Series.
Escobar said when he saw his hit fly off the bat Tuesday night he figured it’d at least be a double. The home run extended his playoff hitting streak to 11 games, and he’s in pursuit of Lorenzo Cain’s consecutive-game hitting streak of 13, which Cain established this postseason.
For starters he is 11-for-20 (.550) when leading off an inning in a dozen games this postseason. Escobar started the World Series on a high note after being named the ALCS MVP.
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“It’s shocking. That’s not how you want to start the Series, that’s for sure”, Conforto said.
