Archive for October, 2015

World Series 2015: Pitching Predictions for Royals vs. Mets Game 4

If the saying goes that a playoff series doesn’t really begin until both teams have played a home game, the New York Mets loudly announced their presence in the World Series with an impressive victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 3. 

Now, the Mets will turn to rookie pitcher Steven Matz to even the series against Kansas City’s wily veteran Chris Young in Game 4 at Citi Field on Saturday night. 

These two pitchers have vastly different approaches to the game, as Matz brings power stuff and youthful ignorance and Young succeeds by changing speeds and frustrating hitters with his ability to alter eye levels. 

 

Pitching Analysis

One potential advantage the Mets could have over the Royals in this game is Young’s three-inning relief appearance in Game 1 of that 14-inning affair. 

Even though Mets hitters didn’t have a hit against Young in his relief stint, it did get them a look at what he has to offer. 

According to MLB.com, the Mets’ projected lineup for Game 4 has a total of 15 at-bats against Young, 11 by Yoenis Cespedes. That was before Tuesday’s game, so every starter on Saturday except Michael Conforto got a look at the right-hander. 

In contrast, Matz has made just eight career starts including the postseason and hasn’t been seen by anyone in Kansas City’s lineup. 

This is the first World Series start for both pitchers, but Matz will be under the microscope because he’s the 24-year-old rookie throwing at home. 

Fortunately for Mets fans, per Ryan Hatch of NJ.com, Matz is taking things as they come instead of dwelling on how young and inexperienced he is. 

“This is where you want to be in baseball,” Matz said. “This is the dream. … This is what you write up in your backyard when you’re playing Wiffle ball.”

Matz should also be relaxed prior to the start because he will be driving to the ball park from his parents’ house in Long Island. 

While the starting pitching should be the focus, as it’s played a pivotal role in the outcome of the last two games, Cliff Corcoran of Sports Illustrated did note that Young and Matz have not been given long leashes in October:

He (Young) averaged 5.5 innings per start during the regular season and hasn’t thrown as many as 80 pitches in a single appearance in four weeks. In the National League park, where he’s as likely to depart for a pinch-hitter as he is because of fatigue or ineffectiveness on the mound, Young seems unlikely to pitch past the fifth inning. The same can be said about Matz, who has completed the sixth inning just once in six starts since returning from a torn latissimus dorsi muscle in early September. Matz hasn’t thrown a pitch in the sixth inning in more than five weeks.

Matz couldn’t even make it to five innings in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, in which the Mets were winning 6-0 after 3.5 innings. 

Young also had a game like that against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. He was staked to a 5-0 lead after two innings and had a 5-2 lead after three innings but couldn’t get out of the fifth inning. Kansas City’s offense did torch Toronto’s bullpen for nine runs over the last three innings to turn a three-run game into a 14-2 blowout. 

Assuming both bullpens see a lot of use in this game, neither team should have restrictions on anyone. Kansas City manager Ned Yost used six relievers on Friday, including Kelvin Herrera despite the Royals trailing by three runs, but only Franklin Morales threw more than 20 pitches.

The Mets used their main trio of relievers (Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard, Jeurys Familia) for the final three innings with none of them throwing more than 13 pitches. 

For all the talk of Kansas City’s main relievers being untouchable, the Mets have gotten to Herrera without having that one big inning against him yet. The hard-throwing right-hander has thrown just two innings in the World Series, but he has allowed four hits, one walk and one unearned run. 

The Royals are still favorites if any of the remaining games depend on relievers, but with the exception of Wade Davis, Yost‘s Big Three with Herrera and Ryan Madson looks as vulnerable as it has this season. 

 

Prediction

Given the way New York’s offense finally came alive in Game 3, pushing its home record in the playoffs to 4-1, the Mets do have confidence. Matz has to pound the strike zone better than he has in his first two postseason starts, but he no longer has to feel like perfection is necessary to win.

Young has been far better this October than anyone could have predicted, as it’s rare for someone who doesn’t break 90 mph with the fastball to average more than one strikeout per inning pitched. 

The Mets had adrenaline and the crowd working on their side Friday. Citi Field will be alive again on Halloween, but the Royals have responded to losses on the road every single round this postseason with a victory. 

The Royals are going to win the game thanks to a bounce-back effort from the lineup and strong bullpen work from Yost‘s stable of relievers. 

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Royals vs. Mets Game 4: Live World Series Score and Highlights

The Kansas City Royals are one victory away from winning the 2015 World Series crown. For the second time this series, they orchestrated a late rally to upend the New York Mets, extending their lead to 3-1.

New York entered the eighth inning up 3-2, but Kansas City drew two walks off Tyler Clippard before a costly Daniel Murphy error squandered the lead. Two more hits off closer Jeurys Familia extended the edge to 5-3, which held up as the final score.

Steven Matz, who started the season in Single-A, threw five stunning innings. But the rookie pitcher coughed up a second run in the sixth inning, the furthest he has pitched this postseason. Michael Conforto, who also started the season in Single-A, belted two homers that went to waste.

The Royals continued to chip away with nine hits, including Ben Zobrist’s fourth double of the series. Exclaimed by a two-out save from Wade Davis, the bullpen quieted the Mets to one run through five frames. They can now finish the series Sunday night. 

FINAL: Royals 5, Mets 3

Royals Lead Series 3-1 

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Royals vs. Mets: TV Coverage, Start Time for 2015 World Series Game 4

The Kansas City Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead at home over the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series, but the Mets took Game 3 in New York with a 9-3 win. The teams will play two more games at Citi Field, so this series is far from over.

Rookie Noah Syndergaard gave the Mets six innings, during which he scattered seven hits and allowed three runs while striking out six hitters. Meanwhile, New York got hot at the plate and chased Royals starter Yordano Ventura after 3.1 innings. Ventura gave up five runs while striking out two batters.

The game started with a bit of controversy. On the first pitch, Syndergaard came high and tight on Royals leadoff man Alcides Escobar. As Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported, he knew what he was doing.

“My intent on that pitch was to make them uncomfortable, and I feel like I did just that,” Syndergaard said. “I think in every postseason game that Escobar has played in, he’s swung at the first-pitch fastball. I didn’t think he would want to swing at that one.”

The Royals were clearly unnerved though they managed to get a run across in that first inning. They got two more in the second, but then Syndergaard settled into a groove, and he and the Mets bullpen didn’t allow another run.

The team will send another rookie, this time Steven Matz, to the mound for Game 4. Kansas City will counter with Chris Young, who threw three strong innings in relief in the 14-inning Game 1 marathon. You can catch Game 4 on Fox at 8:07 p.m. ET.

If Young pitches like he did in Game 1, the Mets will be in trouble. They failed to even get a hit against Young in his three innings of work, and four batters went down on strikes.

Young’s height may have had something to do with it. At 6’10”, he has a high release point, which makes it difficult for hitters to track the pitch. Batters aren’t used to seeing the pitch come from so high, and the Mets were clearly caught off guard by him in Game 1.

However, now the Mets hitters have seen Young, so they will have a feel for his pitching style. If they can carry over their success at the plate from Game 3, the team will have a good chance to knot this series at two games apiece.

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World Series 2015: Odds, Prop Bets, Score Prediction for Royals vs. Mets Game 4

The New York Mets picked up a much-needed victory in Game 3 of the 2015 World Series on Friday night. Not only did they cut the Kansas City Royals’ series lead to 2-1, but their offense’s signs of life bode well for the rest of the Fall Classic.

Now the focus shifts to Game 4. Any positive vibes gained by the Mets can quickly get erased Saturday if the Royals are able to get a bounce-back win. Falling behind 3-1 with only a single home game left would make it an uphill battle once again for the National League champions.

Let’s check out all of the important viewing information for the series’ fourth battle. That’s followed by a look at the odds along with a game preview and prediction.

 

Game 4 Details

Where: Citi Field in Queens, New York

When: Saturday, Oct. 31, at 8:07 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

 

Odds

 

Preview

At this stage, every game of the series vastly changes the outlook for both teams.

If the Royals had won Game 3, the question basically would’ve changed from if they are going to win the World Series to when it will happen. Instead, the Mets got the victory and are now favored to level the Fall Classic at two Saturday night, which would make it a three-game series for the title.

Longtime Mets fans may get the feeling they’ve seen this story somewhere before. Fox Sports 1 provided some eerily similar numbers to back that up:

New York will win by four Saturday night if the pattern holds.

More importantly, third baseman David Wright, who jump-started the offense with a first-inning home run, thought they got back to playing the right type of baseball, as noted by Ed Payne of CNN.

“To be able to fight back the way that we did, we were relentless tonight,” Wright said. “And it seemed like every time they had an answer, we had an answer right back. And I think that’s the type of baseball that got us here.”

The Mets will send Steven Matz to the mound with hope he can help continue that positive trend. He’s given up four runs in 9.2 innings (3.72 ERA) in two playoff starts after going 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA in six starts during the regular season.

He’ll be opposed by Chris Young, who picked up the victory in the Game 1 marathon with three scoreless innings of work. The veteran right-hander posted a 3.06 ERA during the regular season and has carried that success into the playoffs with a 2.31 ERA in three games.

So there really isn’t a clear advantage in the pitching matchup. The numbers are similar, and any intangible edge gained from Young’s experience compared to his rookie counterpart is offset by the fact the Mets have already seen him in the series.

That means Game 4 will come down to clutch hitting.

The Royals have proved they are capable of grinding out runs unlike any other team in the league. They make consistent contact and keep their strikeout rate low, which puts a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses.

That said, the Mets finally flashed their offensive muscle in Game 3. If they can get Wright, Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes going at the same time, a process that started Friday night, this series is going to turn around in a major way.

It will be interesting to watch the various storylines play out in the days ahead. In the short term, look for New York to level the series with a narrow victory in Game 4.

Prediction: Mets 5, Royals 4

 

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World Series Stars Who Need to Step Up Before It’s Too Late

The New York Mets picked up a critical win Friday night in Game 3 of the World Series to avoid the death sentence of falling behind to the Kansas City Royals 3-0 in the series.

Now it all comes down to this final week of baseball, as the Royals will look to get over the hump after coming one win away from hoisting the trophy last year, while the Mets will aim to cap off their impressive push back to contention with a title of their own.

While there are a number of players performing at a high level on both sides right now, there are also some notable guys who need to improve their play before it’s too late.

What follows is a look at three players from each team who need to right the ship quickly in order to give their team its best chance of winning it all.

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World Series 2015 Schedule: Royals vs. Mets Game 4 TV Info and Predictions

In dire need of a win to resist falling into a seemingly insurmountable gap, the New York Mets manufactured a 9-3 statement victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the World Series and now trail 2-1 with another pair of games at Citi Field. 

The Mets offense that stymied the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series finally awoke, putting away the Royals with a four-run sixth inning that they rode to victory.

Now, both teams turn to the back end of their respective rotations as the series hits the midway mark, creating opportunity for another offensive showing. Here is a glimpse at the Game 4 matchup.

 

Game 4 Info

When: Saturday, Oct. 31

Where: Citi Field

Time: 8:07 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live StreamFox Sports Go

Probable Starters: Chris Young (KC) vs. Steven Matz (NYM)

 

Preview

While Game 3 featured two of the three highest-velocity starters in baseball, according to Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine, Game 4 dishes out the lowest of each team’s rotation totem pole.

Steven Matz has been in the shadow of the Mets’ power trio of hurlers—Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard—but he’s been lurking more than hiding. Matz is 0-1 this postseason but anchored the Mets to a clinching 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. 

He’s barely four months removed from his MLB debut, but the Mets will rely on him to pull the series even. Matz is welcoming the tall task, per Chris Fickett of the Kansas City Star.

“This is where you want to be in baseball. This is the dream,” Matz said. “This is what you write up in your backyard when you’re playing Wiffle ball.”

Matz hails from Long Island and will reportedly commute from his childhood home for the biggest start of his career, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com.

Young, who played for the Mets in 2011-2012, is making just his second start these playoffs and third appearance overall. He came out of the bullpen in Game 1 and threw 53 pitches, yet Royals manager Ned Yost remained firm that Young will start Game 4, per Fox Sports Kansas City:

Young had been a relegated reliever for roughly half of 2015pitching in just 123.1 innings and eclipsing 100 pitches only three times. Part of his limited use stems from various injuries over the years, as he was limited to just 24 starts in his two seasons with the Mets. He has enjoyed a bit of redemption against his former teammates, per Jeff Deters of the Topeka Capital-Journal:

“I’m grateful for the opportunity they gave me,” Young said. “And certainly to see them and their success over the last few years since I last played here, it’s great. I’m happy for them. I just hope we find a way to beat them.”

Given the Mets and Royals have combined for 29 runs in three games—a surprise this late in October—the offensive trend should continue, as each team sends out the lower tier of its rotation. 

Young allowed no hits or runs in his three innings of service in Game 1, but that was the marathon that went 14 innings. Both offenses will come out sharp, particularly the momentous Mets, who are coming off a convincing Game 3 win. 

The Royals still have home-field advantage to lean on, and they’ll need it. They showed in Game 3 that they can indeed be vulnerable. This series is shaping up to be a lengthy one.

Prediction: Mets 6, Royals 4

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Royals vs. Mets: Keys for Each Team to Win World Series Game 4

The New York Mets pounded the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the World Series Friday night and will look to even the series at 2-2 Saturday night. In an interesting pitching matchup, 36-year-old Chris Young will face off against 24-year-old Steven Matz.

We’ll identify three keys to Saturday night’s game in the article below. Will Matz follow Noah Syndergaard‘s blueprint of pitching the Royals tough inside? How do the Mets match up with against Young and his lack of ground-ball contact? Will the Mets be able to make good use of their bench advantage? 

Make sure to stir up the conversation in the comment section below. What do you think is important for each team to be successful in Game 4? Mets and Royals fans: What’s your confidence level heading into the pivotal game? 

Let’s dive in!

 

Can Steven Matz Pitch Inside Effectively? 

In Game 3, Noah Syndergaard established himself on the inner half of the plate early in the contest. The ethics of his strategy have been questioned, but its effectiveness can not. 

“My first words to Travis (d’Arnaud) when we walked in the clubhouse today were, ‘How do you feel about high and tight for the first pitch and then a curveball for the second one,'” Syndergaard told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. “So I feel like it really made a statement to start the game off — that you guys can’t dig in and get too aggressive because I’ll come in there.”

Syndergaard‘s plan of being the aggressor worked in Game 3, and it’s a blueprint that Matz must follow in Game 4. It’s particularly important against left-handed hitters, as Matz was great at limiting contact on the inner half to same-sided hitters this year. 

Matz, while arguably just as nasty, isn’t as reliant on velocity as his fellow rotation-mates. He normally sits in the mid-90s and throws his nasty curve ball whether he’s ahead or behind in the count. The Royals have feasted on high velocity in this series but will have to readjust their strategy in Game 4.

 

What Can We Expect From Chris Young? 

The Mets are a patient team by nature, ranking 25th in chase rate this past season. That willingness to lay off bad pitches resulted in the lowest first-pitch strike percentage in baseball. 

That will come in handy against Young. The right-hander’s entire game is predicated on generating soft contact because he doesn’t have the strikeout stuff he once did. 

Young had success in 2015 being predominately just a two-pitch pitcher. He throws his fastball the majority of the time, never breaking 90 mph this season. His slider has a 13 mph range to it, so he’s going to try to keep Mets hitters guessing throughout the night. 

A surprising note on Young is his lack of ground-ball outs. The 36-year-old ranked dead last in MLB in ground-ball rate among pitchers with at least 120 innings. New York ranked fifth in fly-ball rate, so there could be plenty of opportunities for the Mets to drive the ball against Young. 

 

Will the Mets Take Advantage of Their Bench Advantage? 

It makes sense that the National League team would have the better of the two benches in this series. With the series shifting to Citi Field and NL rules, the Mets can take advantage of that. 

The Royals are already behind the eight ball, having to sit out Kendrys Morales and his 106 RBI due to the lack of the designated hitter. Morales gives the Royals a solid pinch-hitting option, but the light-hitting Raul Mondesi Jr. and Jarrod Dyson won’t scare Mets pitchers late in games. 

The Mets, on the other hand, are loaded with proven veterans who can help off the bench. Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe have experience entering games in the later innings, and will present tough at-bats depending on the matchup. Despite his recent struggles, Michael Cuddyer is also capable of putting together a quality at-bat. 

Kansas City doesn’t need an elite bench playing in the AL, but more decisions have to be made playing under NL rules. The Mets have a clear advantage in that aspect, and it will only improve if they can knock Young out of the game early on. 

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Royals vs. Mets Live Stream Schedule, Odds and Pre-Game 4 Comments

Just when you thought it was safe to count the New York Mets out, they’re very much alive in this thing.

The Mets’ bats woke up Friday night, erupting for nine runs on 12 hits as New York beat the Kansas City Royals 9-3 in Game 3 of the World Series at Citi Field, and they now trail 2-1 with Game 4 coming up Saturday night.

New York came into Game 3 with only seven hits in the last 17 innings. The Mets needed their offense to come alive with Daniel Murphy’s struggles, and they got that with two-run home runs from David Wright and Curtis Granderson.

After falling behind twice in the early innings, New York chased Yordano Ventura out of the game after 3.1 innings and after scoring five runs off the 24-year-old Royals pitcher.

Meanwhile, the Mets got more than enough from young ace Noah Syndergaard, as he went six innings and struck out six while allowing only three runs in his first start in 11 days.

We now know there will be a Game 5. The question becomes, will Kansas City bounce back and take a 3-1 lead, or are we on our way to a best-of-three series heading back to Kauffman Stadium? Here’s the info you need to know for Game 4 and what both teams were saying after Game 3.

 

Game 4 Info

Where: Citi Field

When: Saturday, Oct. 31

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

TV: Fox

Projected Starters: Chris Young (KC) vs. Steven Matz (NYM)

 

Game 4 Odds

What Are the Royals Saying?

Kansas City had a chance to put a stranglehold on this series, but it became a rough three-plus innings for Ventura.

And the fireworks started early, well before any runs were on the board.

On the very first pitch of the game, Syndergaard threw a fastball toward the head of Alcides Escobar. Yes, the very first pitch of the game. Twitter user @mocc88 has the video:

Many of the Royals players were upset at Syndergaard‘s up-and-high pitch, and Escobar was very subtle in his response, per Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.

But the most vocal was first baseman Eric Hosmer, who went 0-for-4 in Game 3. Hosmer said his teammates were angry at the rookie’s actions and that the Royals won’t forget this anytime soon, per Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star.

“Any time a guy throws at one of your teammates’ heads, it’s not going to go over easy,” Hosmer said. “Of course we’re going to be angry, of course we’re going to be upset. But we’ll find a way to get back at him.”

Shots fired.

In terms of performance on the field, Royals manager Ned Yost said Ventura “just wasn’t sharp” Friday night, per Fox Sports Kansas City.

Ventura came into Game 3 having won his only two career starts in the World Series, which came last year against the San Francisco Giants in Games 2 and 6. The young pitcher gave up only a combined two runs in those games but gave up five and allowed two home runs to the top of the Mets lineup.

“[Ventura‘s] fastball velocity was down, made a couple of mistakes,” Yost said. … “It was just one of those days where he wasn’t sharp. It was cold out there, I don’t know if that affected him.”

The usually reliable Royals bullpen also fell apart in the sixth inning, mainly Franklin Morales, who only pitched a third of an inning and allowed all four runs scored by the Mets to go up 9-3. Morales has now allowed 11 runs in 3.1 innings pitched in his World Series career.

What’s the ERA for that, you ask? Tyler Kepner of the New York Times has the answer:

This was one of the rare times the Royals’ pitching has failed them, and they missed a golden opportunity to put away this series Saturday night. Now, Kansas City turns to Chris Young, who got the win in Game 1 after pitching three innings of no-hit baseball. Young is a reliable veteran the Royals will be able to turn to for this situation. If things go wrong in Game 4, it may be more of a trick than a treat for the Royals on Halloween night.

 

What Are the Mets Saying?

After reading all of what was said regarding the fastball Syndergaard fired at Escobar‘s head, you’re probably wondering if that was intentional.

The answer is a definitive yes, per Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan:

Thor doesn’t hold back in the movies and apparently doesn’t hold anything back on the mound.

Syndergaard hadn’t pitched since the National League Championship Series on Oct. 18, and it appeared the rookie jitters got to him early, giving up three runs in the first two innings and falling behind 3-2 despite David Wright’s go-ahead homer in the first.

Coming into Game 3, Escobar was batting 6-for-9 on the first pitch of the game. Again, Syndergaard wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, per Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated:

But the real hero was Wright, who had a career postseason-high four RBI and drove in four runs for the first time since 2013. Wright has been battling back pain all year long, and there was a point where no one thought he’d return for the Mets this year after suffering from spinal stenosis earlier this year.

Wright isn’t even thinking about said back pain, per CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.

“Nobody’s complaining,” Wright said. “It’s the World Series. … This is what you dream about as a kid. Running around the bases, it’s like floating.”

It’s unclear whether or not this offensive explosion by the Mets was an aberration or not. New York desperately needed to get its offense going, whether it be from Murphy or someone completely different. One thing is for sure, though: The Mets are going to need this Wright going forward if they want to go back to Kansas City with a chance to win this series.

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Unlikely Star Chris Young Overcomes Heartache, Prepares for 1st Series Start

NEW YORK — Measured against the New York Mets’ staff of flamethrowers, Chris Young’s fastball can be timed with a sundial.

His fastball is soooo slow, Kansas City infielders often excuse themselves for dinner as he winds up and then return to their positions before the ball crosses the plate.

His fastball is soooo slow, it makes Kansas City’s award-winning, slow-cooked barbecue seem like fast food—the ribs smoking in so much less time than Young’s non-smoking “heater” moves.

His fastball is soooo slow, rumor has it that manager Ned Yost does his taxes in the Royals dugout while everyone waits for the ball to get to the batter.

Listen. Don’t mention any of this to the man himself. The velocity topic grows old with Young, and you can’t blame him.

Because here he is again, ready to start Game 4 Saturday as the Kansas City Royals look to re-establish their momentum in this World Series, and there is so much more to the man than his 6’10” height and pedestrian fastball jokes.

In making his first World Series start at age 36, Young will pitch with his father in his heart and his college coach in the stands.

He will pitch after missing the entire 2013 season, part of a three-year battle to overcome shoulder problems.

He will pitch seven seasons after an Albert Pujols line drive drilled him square in the face, which sent him toward surgery and an uncertain future.

And he will pitch, as always, with the smarts and determination that have allowed him to throw that fastball right by the skeptics for most of his career.

“It’s very cool to be here,” Young told Bleacher Report during a conversation in the Royals dugout recently. “It’s very rewarding.”

It also is bittersweet, finally stepping into a World Series for the first time in his 11-year career. Because his father, Charles, 70, passed away in late September from multiple myeloma.

Charles always was Chris’ biggest fan, and this summer he loved watching the Royals. They are the best team Chris ever played on. The two talked often, and his father was excited over what October would bring.

Now, Chris will take the ball for Game 4, just as he did for three shutout innings of relief while earning the win in Game 1, feeling his dad’s presence even closer than usual.

“I like to think that he’s here,” Young said. “It’s life. He took so much enjoyment watching our team play. He will be in the stadium.

“It’s just different.”

The relief outing the other night to finish a wild, 14-inning Game 1 makes your blood run cold just thinking about it. A couple of hours before the game, Kansas City manager Ned Yost quietly approached Young and told him he may need the right-hander to make an emergency start.

There’s a personal situation with Edinson Volquez, Yost told Young.

Volquez’s father had died earlier that day, at home in the Dominican Republic. His wife had asked the Royals to hold the news from Edinson until after he made his start. Yost honored that request, though with today’s social media, you never know. That’s why Yost put Young on notice. Had Volquez somehow found out and not been in an emotional state to pitch that night…

“I know the pain he’s going through right now,” Young said that night after working three scoreless relief innings in a 5-4 victory that Volquez did start. “It’s hard. It’s really hard.

“I feel his pain.”

That Young is even here on baseball’s biggest stage is one of those remarkable hardball stories that the game keeps delivering. The Pujols line drive, in May 2008, was gut-wrenching to watch. As Young was helped off of the field, blood gushed from his nose. The ball struck him on the bridge of the nose up toward the forehead, fracturing his skull.

He came back. But then came the shoulder problems.

It took three years before doctors finally zeroed in on the cause: thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition in which a rib pinches off a nerve running to the shoulder. So he underwent surgery to remove part of the rib, missed all of 2013 and then went 12-9 with a 3.65 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) for Seattle in 2014.

Still, he went unsigned as a free agent this spring until early March, when the only interested team, the Royals, called.

What most clubs didn’t know was that Young, for the first time in years, finally was able to spend an entire winter focusing on his workouts instead of his rehab.

When Royals general manager Dayton Moore approached Yost with the idea of signing Young after spring training started, the manager couldn’t believe the pitcher was still available.

“At that point, I liked the starting pitching we had,” Yost said. “But I remember Bobby Cox saying in Atlanta, you can never have too much starting pitching. Get as much as you can, because over the course of the year you’re going to need it.”

Along with Kendrys Morales, Alex Rios and even pitcher Franklin Morales, Yost said Young “was one of the great signs we had.”

Young worked both out of the rotation and as a reliever for the Royals this year, going 11-6 with a 3.06 ERA in 34 appearances (18 starts). Among pitchers who worked at least 100 innings, he handcuffed opposing hitters to the lowest batting average (.202) in the American League and the fourth-lowest in the majors.

Also among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched, Young allowed the fourth-fewest hits per nine innings (6.64) in the majors.

“Gosh, it’s hard to say what he’s meant to us,” Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland said. “He’s been worth his weight in gold.

“There are a lot of reasons we won the division and we’re here today, and one big reason is Chris.”

All of this with a fastball this season that averaged 86.4 mph and a slider that he mixes in with the sneakiness of a cat burglar.

“This is a guy who, more than anybody I’ve ever been around, trusts his stuff and throws every pitch with conviction,” Eiland said. “He thinks he can get an out with every pitch.”

“Thinks” is the key word in that last sentence. Young earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics at Princeton University, graduating in four years despite playing both baseball and basketball. His senior thesis was a study of the impact of Jackie Robinson on racial stereotypes in the realm of media.

While Young doesn’t throw lightning bolts like the Mets staff, he is aces at outfoxing hitters and nailing specific locations. Plus, the fact that he’s 6’10″—tied for the second-tallest player in MLB history (behind only Jon Rauch, 6’11”)leads to much deception as he delivers the ball. From the perspective of hitters, the ball is released closer to the plate than they are accustomed to and from different angles.

“The way he throws, I think he hides the ball very well,” Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores said. “That’s why he gets outs.”

On Saturday, while he will feel the power of his father’s presence in the stadium, Young also will have a rooting section in the seats: his wife, Liz, the granddaughter of Lester Patrick, namesake of the NHL’s Patrick Division and the Lester Patrick trophy, and their three children, Cate (seven), Scott (five) and Grant (three). His college coach at Princeton, former big leaguer Scott Bradley, also will be there.

In fact, Bradley, whose nine-year MLB career spanned from 1984 to 1992, flew to Kansas City for Games 1 and 2 at Young’s request. 

“Oh, man, he’s so positive and optimistic,” Young said. “He was a great fit both for my basketball and academics. He accommodated me any way he could.”

How much does Bradley mean to Young? Seventeen years after recruiting him, the pitcher’s middle son is named, in part, for the Princeton coach.

Now here he is, forever Young, a great fit with the Royals.

“In spring training what really stood out was the focus and determination,” Young said of his teammates. “These guys had a hunger I didn’t quite expect. I thought these guys went to the World Series last year and maybe they’re going to rest on their laurels a little bit, and it was the exact opposite.

“I came in and said, ‘Whoa. These guys want to win the World Series.’ And they expect to and believe they can. It had a different feel than any spring training I had been at with any other club. It was evident from day one to me.”

Just like Young, they are not waiting around. They are looking to make something happen.

Just don’t ask about his velocity. He’s heard it all before.

“I could care less about velocity,” said that man who could author the book on it. “I care about results.”

 

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball.

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World Series 2015: Royals vs. Mets Game 4 TV Schedule, Prediction

Every accolade bestowed upon the Kansas City Royals during the World Series’ off day banished during Game 3, when an uncharacteristically ugly game let the New York Mets diminish the deficit to 2-1.

Kansas City officially didn’t commit any errors, but pitchers Yordano Ventura and Franklin Morales each committed a crucial defensive miscue. Meanwhile, Noah Syndergaard recovered from a rough start to contain the contact-heavy offense, recording six strikeouts in a 9-3 victory.

For the second straight evening, New York will send a rookie starter to the mound in Citi Field. Kansas City, on the other hand, will turn to a grizzled veteran 12 years his adversary’s elder. After overflowing the series opener with drama, both sides have traded lopsided victories. These two pennant winners, however, are too evenly matched to anticipate another blowout. 

When: Saturday, October 31, at 8:07 p.m. ET

Where: Citi Field; Queens, New York

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Probable Pitchers: Chris Young (Royals) vs. Steven Matz (Mets)

 

Game 4 Preview

Although it hasn’t materialized on the diamond, the Mets seemingly hold one distinctive advantage over the Royals. While the American League champions were simply hoping to deliver the game intact to their prolific bullpen, the Mets needed to ride their starting pitching to victory.

Steven Matz is no pushover, but the rookie doesn’t give them a demonstrative edge. Manager Terry Collins has wisely kept him on a short leash this postseason, working him a combined 9.2 frames through two starts. The pressure becomes even greater to quickly assemble an early lead.

With Matt Harvey already 28 innings over the original 180 limit, the Mets cannot fairly employ the 26-year-old on short rest. They’ll instead rely on the 24-year-old lefty, who has issued a 2.58 ERA through eight career MLB starts.

A lifelong Mets fan who was nine when the Mets last made the World Series is now tasked with evening the best-of-seven slate. Per the team’s Twitter page, he commented on making the biggest start of his life four months after his big league debut:

Against Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Syndergaard, the Royals struck out 10 times. Before hoping for an uptick, they actually fanned fewer times against lefties, recording an MLB-low 15.1 strikeout percentage off southpaws. They have also collected 10 hits off New York’s bullpen this series, which will have Collins feeling uneasy with the game in their hands. 

Chris Young also isn’t expected to go the distance. The 36-year-old righty didn’t last five innings in either playoff start, but he did exactly what Kansas City needed. He limited the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays to three scores through 8.2 innings, giving Kansas City’s relief corps a chance to win.

The advanced metrics say Young should get shelled. Throwing a mid-80s fastball, he produced a lowly 16.6 strikeout percentage along with an 8.6 walk percentage. He registered more hard-hit balls (33.4 percent) than grounders (25.5 percent), leading to a 4.52 fielding independent pitching (FIP) and 5.15 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA). 

He also posted a 3.06 ERA. Did he benefit from luck, or does he have skills enabling him to overcome expected regression? Perhaps both. A .209 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) helped his cause, but his career .247 BABIP resides well below the average hurler. A 14.8 infield-fly percentage, the easiest out among batted balls, produces a chunk of weak offense.

This is important to note against the Mets. As Ben Lindbergh explained in Grantland’s World Series preview, a matchup of a fly-ball pitcher and fly-ball hitter favors the pitcher, leading to more pop-ups rather than home runs. He predicted this trend especially helping Young:

The Royals have a fly ball staff: Only the Angels and Rays had higher fly ball rates this season. Mets batters, meanwhile, recorded the fifth-highest fly ball rate (and the third-highest among position players), a trait that only intensified with Cespedes in the fold. In theory, these batted-ball tendencies should sap some of the Mets’ power, forcing them to swing under balls that they usually center. The effect should be especially strong against über-fly-baller Chris Young, who’s had success in both of the big parks in this series.

Oddly enough, Young has registered 15 punchouts through 11.2 scoreless frames. Used in relief duty during Game 1’s 14-inning grind, he struck out four Mets through three hitless frames. The veteran earned the win, but he acknowledged the stat’s uselessness to MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan:

Baseball Savant’s Daren Willman provided a more telling stat of Young’s enhanced velocity in Game 1:

He can’t go full throttle back in a starting role, but he realistically won’t throw more than five frames on three days’ rest. A fresh Kris Medlen, who surprisingly pitched on Friday, should still be Kansas City’s first option in a long-relief role. In 14.1 innings out of the bullpen, the 30-year-old limited opponents to a .553 OPS.

In a game that will boil down to the late innings, look for the Royals bullpen (not Franklin Morales), speed and defense to pull off a narrow victory. 

Prediction: Royals 5, Mets 4

 

All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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