Royals take epic Game 1 in 14 innings
With plenty going on outside the lines in Game 1 of the World Series, the Kansas City Royals' resilient offense continued inside them.
Alex Gordon hit the game-tying home run in the ninth and Eric Hosmer drove in the winning run in the 14th with a walk-off sac fly as the Royals edged the New York Mets 5-4 on Tuesday in the longest Game 1 in World Series history.
The epic five-hour, nine-minute opener featured several dramatic moments, beginning when Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar hit the first inside-the-park home run in the World Series since 1929.
The fourth inning was delayed for several minutes after FOX lost power to a truck carrying the signal of the game, and 42-year-old Bartolo Colon became the oldest player to pitch in the World Series since Jamie Moyer in 2008.
Hosmer's game-winning knock redeemed the two-time Gold Glove winner following a defensive gaffe in the eighth that almost cost the Royals Game 1. Hosmer attempted to backhand a short hop that got past him, resulting in Wilmer Flores to reach on a fielding error and Juan Lagares to score the Mets fourth run.
Before the game started it was reported that the father of Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez died earlier in the day. Ned Yost confirmed to reporters after the game that Volquez was unaware of his father's death until after pitching Game 1.
Top Performer: Scheduled to start Game 4, Royals right-hander Chris Young was summoned to pitch in relief and tossed three hitless innings to pick up the win. Young finished with four strikeouts and retired red-hot Mets slugger Daniel Murphy twice.
Starting Pitchers: Volquez carried a no-hit bid into the fourth inning before the Mets scratched across solo runs in each of the following three frames. He was lifted in the seventh, at which point he was informed of his father's passing by his family in the clubhouse, according to Yost.
Harvey, meanwhile, was nearly unhittable over his first five innings. After allowing the leadoff, inside-the-park home run on a first-pitch fastball that should have been caught, he allowed just one hit over the next five innings, including a run that saw the right-hander retire 11 straight. The Royals tacked on two runs off three hits in the sixth, ending Harvey’s day.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volquez | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Harvey | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Key Moment: Down to their final two outs in the ninth inning, Gordon hammered a solo home run to center field off Mets closer Jeurys Familia to tie the game 4-4. It was the first blown save for Familia since July 30.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)
Up Next: The Royals send Johnny Cueto to the mound on Wednesday for Game 2. The right-hander is coming off his worst start with the Royals after allowing eight runs in just two innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets counter with right-hander Jacob deGrom. He is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three postseason outings, all of which have come on the road.