If Tuesday night’s debut of the 2015 World Series is any indication, we’re in for a championship bout between the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets that should go down to the wire entering Wednesday night’s Game 2.
Nine innings weren’t enough to decide Game 1, a 14-inning affair that went long into the Kansas City night—or, morning. What ended as one of the longest World Series games ever by any measurement resulted in a Royals victory, 5-4.
But if that game provided any takeaways, it’s that these Mets and Royals are as evenly matched as could be, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see this series go into November and a seventh game. Game 2 will be a sign of whether that could happen, so let’s take a look at what to expect.
Game 2 Info
When: Wednesday, October 28
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
Time (ET): 8:07 p.m.
TV: Fox
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Preview and Prediction
Baseball fans couldn’t have asked for any more from Game 1 of the World Series—well, save for a good night’s sleep.
Folks who had to be up early Wednesday morning certainly didn’t get that, as the opener lasted all of five hours and nine minutes. It didn’t end until after 1 a.m. ET, when the Royals loaded the bases with no outs and Eric Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Alcides Escobar.
That wouldn’t have been possible without the supremely unlikely: a blown save from Mets closer Jeurys Familia. Having not blown a save since July 31, he allowed Alex Gordon to go yard in the bottom of the ninth; the solo shot tied the game at 4-4 and set up five extra innings of standout bullpen pitching.
The way the game ended, however, couldn’t be more fitting as Hosmer was able to make up for an error that allowed the Mets the lead. Manager Ned Yost echoed that sentiment to the team’s Twitter:
It’s hard to take anything away from the Royals, who once again proved they just put together strong at-bats when it’s needed the most and rarely have to do anything spectacular to get wins. But that doesn’t mean the Mets aren’t leaving Game 1 wishing they had seized the opportunity.
With a dominant closer on the mound and a one-run lead in the ninth, it’s pretty astounding that the Mets couldn’t pull through, as ESPN’s Mike Greenberg noted:
While players, beat writers and fans alike spend Wednesday morning catching up on sleep, there isn’t much time to catch any shut-eye with Game 2 right around the corner Wednesday evening.
And that’s especially true for the Royals, who will have to reset their minds and prepare for another outstanding Mets ace. This one is perhaps the best, as Jacob deGrom has dominated this postseason with a 3-0 record.
Mets captain David Wright—along with the rest of the fanbase—is confident their leading arm can take them to victory and even the series, per ESPN’s Adam Rubin: “He’s been excellent this postseason,” Wright said. “Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s found ways to win. He’s a stopper for us, so we feel good every time he’s on the mound.”
Although Matt Harvey pitched well and let up just three runs in Game 1, the Royals can’t expect to even get that many off deGrom. He’s simply pitching too well at the moment, and there’s too much on the line for his team for him to do anything short of the spectacular.
Kansas City won’t ever give up, and that will keep this one close until the final out. But Familia will have a point to prove and won’t disappoint when deGrom gives him a lead into the ninth.
Prediction: Mets 3, Royals 2
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com