Mets chase shaky Ventura with multi-homer effort
Yordano Ventura's inconsistent postseason performance continued into Game 3 of the World Series.
The Kansas City Royals starter battled through 3 1/2 innings on Friday before manager Ned Yost went to his bullpen, closing the book on the second-shortest start of Ventura's postseason career.
"I don't feel good at all," Ventura said following the 9-3 loss to the New York Mets. "I had a chance to put the team 3-0 and I didn't do that. But I'll wake up tomorrow ready to cheer on my guys on the team and it's just part of it. We're still up 2-1."
| Date | Series | IP | H | R | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8 | ALDS G1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Oct 12 | ALDS G4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Oct 17 | ALCS G2 | 5.1 | 8 | 3 | 6 |
| Oct 23 | ALCS G6 | 5.1 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Oct 30 | WS G3 | 3.1 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
After the Royals spotted him an early 1-0 lead, Ventura immediately gave it back when David Wright took him deep with a two-run bomb in the first. The Mets struck for two more runs in the third, as Curtis Granderson snuck one over the right-field wall to make it 4-3. Ventura would allow three of the first four batters he faced to reach in the fourth, prematurely ending his start.
"He just wasn't sharp today," Yost said of Ventura. "Fastball velocity was down. Made a couple mistakes. Made a mistake in the first inning with Wright on a fastball up. The backup slider to Granderson. It was just one of those days where he just wasn't sharp. It was cool. It was cold out there. I don't know if that affected him. He just wasn't sharp."
Ventura posted a 6.57 ERA over his first three playoff starts before allowing one run off four hits across 5 1/3 innings in a Game 6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 of the ALCS.