Really, that ball can’t get down.
Advertisement
In the fifth inning, Escobar came to bat with runners on first and second, his Royals trailing the Mets 1-0. He pitched two-hit ball over eight innings to win Game 5 of the Division Series against Houston, and Kansas City lined up its Series rotation to have Cueto starting Games 2 and 6 at home.
“His focus really intensifies during this time”, said Yost.
“As I ran after the ball, I looked at Conforto and by the time I looked back up I had lost the ball”, Cespedes said through a translator.
While there’s a good chance that Game 2 will deliver even bigger ratings, a pattern that has held in 15 of the last 20 World Series, the same generally can’t be said for Games 3 and 4.
In the eighth, Escobar again showed how locked in he is right now, as he tripled to deep center to score Alex Gordon.
Throwing the first World Series pitch of his career, New York’s Matt Harvey began with a 95 miles per hour, belt-high fastball over the outer part of the plate.
The Mets scored their only run in the fourth inning. And he finds ways to be successful in this environment.
“I’ve learned that they hit mistakes very well”, Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. Conforto was taken out of the game as Cespedes switched to his more natural position in left field to make room for Juan Lagares, who played center for the rest of the game. And the fact that Lucas Duda twice delivered singles to the right side of the KC infield despite shifts specifically created to stop singles to the right side of the infield.
It doesn’t hurt when he swings, however, Collins said. 253 with Moustakas, Escobar and Perez accounting for nearly half of Kansas City’s hits. When first-pitch swinging, they are a mere 1-for-7.
DeGrom, 3-0 in the postseason coming in, allowed four runs, six hits and three walks over five innings in a hairy matchup of pitchers with contrasting long locks.
That was more than enough against the Mets, who are hitting.
Advertisement
The Royals’ leadoff hitters in each inning are getting on base more than 40 percent of the time, with two doubles, a home run, three singles and a walk. 165 in the Series with one extra-base hit.
