Royals stage another comeback to win 1st World Series since '85
The New York Mets were three outs away from forcing Game 6 in the World Series, but the Kansas City Royals once again showed off their flair for the dramatic.
After the Royals staged a two-run rally in the top of the ninth inning to force extra innings, Christian Colon inspired a five-run rally in the top of the 12th with a clutch pinch-hit RBI single, helping Kansas City clinch its first World Series title since 1985 with a 7-2 victory over the Mets on Sunday night at Citi Field.
Colon, making his first at-bat of the postseason, singled on a line drive to left field that plated the speedy Jarrod Dyson to break a 2-2 deadlock in the 12th. Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain followed up with RBI knocks to break the game wide open with a five-run outburst.
The Royals, who secured their second World Series title in franchise history, are the first team ever with three or more wins when trailing in the eighth inning or later in the history of the Fall Classic.
Top Performer: Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who hit .364 while anchoring the club's lights-out pitching staff, earned World Series MVP honors after driving in the game-tying run in the ninth with a little help from a wide throw from Lucas Duda. Then he singled leading off the 12th, setting up pinch-runner Dyson to score the go-ahead run. He's the first catcher to earn MVP honors since Toronto Blue Jays backstop Pat Borders in 1992.
Starting Pitchers: Matt Harvey silenced his innings-limit critics by pitching admirably into the ninth inning, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out nine before making way for closer Jeurys Familia. Harvey pleaded to remain in the game for the ninth, but he issued a walk to open the frame, and then Eric Hosmer doubled to cut New York's lead to 2-1. Familia couldn't hold the lead, spoiling a gutsy effort from the Dark Knight.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)
| PITCHER | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Harvey | 8+ | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Edinson Volquez | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
Edinson Volquez, pitching with a heavy heart following the death of his father, turned in a spirited performance and dominated after allowing a leadoff homer to Curtis Granderson. He ran into trouble again in the sixth when he loaded the bases with none out, but limited the damage to just a single run.
Key Moment: Everyone will be talking about Mets manager Terry Collins' decision to stick with Harvey in the ninth with a two-run lead as the turning point in the contest, but there was also a crucial moment in the sixth. With New York leading 1-0 and none out, slugger Yoenis Cespedes came to the plate with the bases loaded and fouled a pitch off his left leg. He fell to the ground in pain and remained down for several minutes, but surfaced to eventually pop out before leaving the game. The Mets would score another run on a Duda sacrifice fly, but Cespedes' injury killed the potential for a much bigger rally.