Perez had an outstanding game and series for the Royals against the Mets, catching every inning in the series but the very last. The 7-2, 12-inning victory was a microcosm of everything they’d done right in this Fall Classic – and everything the Mets had done wrong.
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Less than a week later, in the American League Championship Series, the Royals were down 3-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays heading into the 7 inning. The Royals loaded the bases in the 14th and Hosmer delivered a game-winning sac fly.
“I think if I had one regret during the whole playoffs, was I had to pinch run for Sal there in that inning”, Royals manager Ned Yost said.
The Royals seized their first crown since 1985 with a record eighth come-from-behind playoff victory, including all four of their World Series triumphs. They, too, thought the cosmos was on their side, at least until they realized that everything they did, the Royals did just a little bit better.
Oh, how they were relentless. We got in the spot where we wanted to get to, and we talked about it all day yesterday and all day today.
Sunday’s game, which took 12 innings, attracted 17.2 million viewers, the biggest audience for a Game Five since the 2003 game five between the New York Yankees and Florida Marlins, which drew 19.9 million viewers.
“Obviously I let my heart get in the way of my gut”, admitted Collins. Ditching the plan and putting your faith in a player, as Collins did for Matt Harvey on Sunday night, is a creaky limb that many managers would rather not climb out on.
How did the breakdown occur?
“It’s unbelievable. I always say we feel like a family here”, said Perez, who signed with Kansas City as a free agent from Venezuela when he was 16.
“I’m mad at Harvey, and I’m mad at the manager”, said David Alejandro, of Park Slope.
“I just saw his head turn towards first, chose to take another shuffle, ” Hosmer said, ” and as soon as he went to throw it, I just decided it was a good time to take a chance”. When he emerged from the dugout as the ninth inning began, Citi Field exploded in cheers. The piece emphasizes the that many of these Mets fans actually don’t have the money-but that that’s not even a factor. Collins held his breath. It started as a pitchers’ duel: the Mets’ Matt Harvey against Kansas City’s Edinson Volquez.
And, of course, how could first baseman Lucas Duda make such a poor throw in the ninth inning? Eric Hosmer followed with a line-drive double to left that scored Cain to make it 2-1.
Collins tried to pull Harvey after the eighth inning, but Harvey protested and Collins kept him in the game.
Hosmer, on third one out later, broke for home on Salvador Perez’ one-bouncer to third. They told them that Duda has trouble throwing the ball.
The 26-year-old infielder had been stuck on the bench during the Royals’ run to the title. The Royals stole seven bases in the series, four by Cain, and were never caught.
“When you looked in this kid’s eyes, when he came off that inning”, Collins said. Even if deGrom is your “horse”, your “ace” or you just trust him like insane, all starters tire. deGrom was cooked. “And so I said, ‘Go get ’em out.’ And he went out and the lead-off walk started it off”.
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Schools in the Kansas City School District will be open and officials from the North Kansas City School District announced that anyone missing classes would be marked “unexcused” on Tuesday. Credit timely hitting, a ferocious bullpen, stellar defense and a little bit of luck for KC’s 4-1 series win over the Mets. “You have too many good pitchers to let one guy play the whole game”.
