7 moments that made Game 1 an instant classic

From broadcast delays to tales of redemption and unprecedented feats, Game 1 of the World Series between the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets had it all. Here are seven moments from the Royals' 5-4 walk-off win that made it an instant classic:

1. LONGEST. GAME. EVER.

The end was a bit anticlimactic, but what more can you ask for from a World Series game with two seventh-inning stretches? Tuesday's epic 14-inning opener matched the most innings in a World Series game, and at 5 hours and 9 minutes, it's the second-longest by the clock. When Eric Hosmer's walk-off sac fly and accompanying bat flip brought one of the most compelling games in World Series history to an end, it was the 417th pitch and 115th plate appearance of the night.

2. GORDON'S HEROICS

The resilient Royals were at it again Tuesday, pulling off another electrifying moment in a big-time game. With Kansas City down to its final two outs, Alex Gordon became the first player in 14 years to hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning of a World Series game.

3. POWERGATE

Game 1 officially entered the twilight zone in the fourth inning when technical difficulties with the FOX telecast caused a delay in the game. Following a six-minute delay, both teams agreed to play with limited instant replay, which was fully restored shortly thereafter. By then the memes had all been shared, and the predictable #powergate term was already in full circulation.

4. ESCOBAR'S LEADOFF INSIDE-THE-PARK HR

Alcides Escobar's standing leadoff inside-the-park homer - on Matt Harvey's first pitch of the game - would have been the top story from almost any other game, which shows just how wacky this one was. According to ESPN Stats & Info, two of the three World Series games to go 14 innings included an inside-the-park homer. That stat is especially unbelievable considering Escobar became the first to hit a World Series inside-the-parker since 1929.

5. SHADES OF BUCKNER

Wilmer Flores' choppy grounder at Hosmer was quite different from the lazy roller than managed its way through the pockets of Bill Buckner, but the circumstances were awfully similar. Like Buckner, Hosmer's typically a sure-handed defender, but in the eighth inning, his misplay at first allowed the Mets to score the go-ahead run in Game 1, some 29 years after Mookie Wilson drilled in the winning run in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The biggest difference: Hosmer rewrote his narrative six innings later.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)

6. COLON AND YOUNG DUEL

It'll make for a great trivia question: who were the pitchers of record for the epic marathon? All 78 combined years of Bartolo Colon and Game 4 starter Chris Young. The former became the oldest player at 42 years old to pitch in a World Series game since Jamie Moyer in 2008, while Young's the only pitcher in MLB history to throw three scoreless frames out of the bullpen - all in extra innings - and earn the win.

7. MORE THAN A DOZEN PITCHERS

For fans who love stats, this game had it all. Literally. There were 36 players used, 13 of which were pitchers; Michael Cuddyer struck out in all three plate appearances off the bench after pinch hitting in the seventh; and Jeurys Familia blew his first save in three months after converting 21 in a row. A few more: Hosmer's the first player in 24 years to end a World Series game with a sac fly, the Mets are now 0-5 all time in Game 1s, Colon's the oldest losing pitcher ever, and Royals pitchers tied for the second-most strikeouts in a World Series game with 15. The only thing we didn't see was a rookie make his major-league debut for the first time in history. Fortunately, Game 2's only a few hours away.