This 2015 World Series is going to be fun.
The opening night of it provided an obvious showcase of that, as Tuesday night’s Game 1 went well into the morning in one of the longest games in World Series history. After five hours and nine minutes, over 14 innings, the Royals emerged on top to take the 1-0 series lead.
Heading into Wednesday’s Game 2, there’s little time for reflection on that instant classic with another one right around the corner. With that in mind, let’s dive right into odds and predictions for Game 2 as well as the updated prop bets.
Game 2 Odds
Game 2 odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Updated Prop Bets
Prop bets courtesy of OddsChecker.com.
Preview and Prediction
The opening game of the World Series unfolded just as we expected it—albeit with a handful more innings than initially thought.
Game 1 in Kansas City was indeed evenly matched, so much so that starting pitchers Matt Harvey and Edinson Volquez canceled each other out by conceding three runs each. The teams matched each other after that as well, largely thanks to Alex Gordon’s ninth-inning bomb that tied the game and sent it to extras.
Four more innings of even baseball followed as relief pitchers Bartolo Colon and Chris Young both pitched gems, until an error from the Mets allowed a bases-loaded situation with no outs that Colon couldn’t overcome.
With the Royals once again coming from behind, they tied an incredible statistic, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:
It wouldn’t be surprising at all if the Royals were forced to cut into a deficit again Wednesday night in Game 2—not with who the Mets are rolling out onto the mound.
New York ace Jacob deGrom has turned into a folk hero, more so for his dominance on the mound than his wild mop of hair (although the latter is nonetheless exceptional). The 27-year-old is coming into his own in his first postseason, winning all three of his starts.
What’s more, deGrom tends to come through when pitching following a Mets loss, as Baseball Tonight noted:
For all of deGrom‘s great pitching throughout the postseason, he has proven susceptible during one stretch of games—the first inning. He has gotten into an early jam in each of his last two postseason starts, including allowing two runs to the Dodgers early in Game 5.
But it’s no secret why he’s able to settle in after that, as Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen told Scott Miller of Bleacher Report:
“Because he’s able to breathe,” Warthen says, in referring to deGrom‘s ability to slow the game down. “He’s able to focus. Even when you watch him get behind in the count, I’ve watched him umpteen different times where he’ll get 3-and-0 or 3-and-1 and he’ll be able to come back and get quality pitches from that count.
“At any given time, he can throw a 3-1 changeup or a 3-0 breaking ball and get back in the count. His command of the fastball and, more than anything, his ability to focus on that individual pitch [is key].”
You can bet that deGrom‘s early shakiness will be on the Royals’ scouting report. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to prevent him from getting into his groove after that.
Kansas City’s bats have proven opportunistic throughout this postseason and the last, but only when the opposing pitching gives them the opportunity. Harvey rarely conceded that in Game 1, and deGrom will be even less likely to do that.
In the other dugout, trade-deadline acquisition Johnny Cueto gets the ball—who was shaky in his last outing, allowing eight earned runs in just two innings (two innings!) last time out in Game 3 of the ALCS.
Pitching at home should allow for Cueto to settle down, and both pitchers should shut the door often. But the Mets undoubtedly have the edge in that department, and their desperation to avoid going into an 0-2 hole will have their bats making the plays to win a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Mets 3, Royals 2
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