Home crowds have gone home happy in each of the first three games of the 2015 World Series. The 44,781 in attendance at Citi Field on Friday night were euphoric as the New York Mets pulled away for a 9-3 win over the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the Fall Classic.
Royals vs. Mets 2015 results: 3 reasons New York breathed life back into World Series
Kansas City leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.
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New York drew to within a game of Kansas City, who leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.
David Wright opened the scoring for the Mets with a two-run home run in the first inning, a no-doubter to left, erasing an early one-run deficit. The third baseman added a two-run single in the sixth inning, becoming just the second Mets player to drive in at least four runs in a World Series game.
Rusty Staub holds the Mets record with five RBI in Game 4 of the 1973 World Series against Oakland.
But after Wright's home run in the first inning the Royals did their thing and used three hits to rally for two more runs in the second inning, and might have scored more had Alex Gordon not been tagged out at third base during the rally. Gordon was initially called safe but the call was overturned on replay review.
Curtis Granderson answered in the third inning with a home run of his own, a line drive just over the wall in right, another two-run shot that put the Mets ahead. Granderson was 2-for-4 on the night and scored three runs. The right fielder has reached base by hit or walk in all 12 games for New York this postseason, hitting .283/.382/.435 this October.
Noah Syndergaard, making his first World Series start, settled down after those early jitters and didn't allow another run, cruising into the sixth inning. He struck out six.
Down 5-3, the Royals had another rally in them, of course, loading the bases with two outs in the sixth, snapping a string of 12 straight batters retired by Syndergaard. But he was able to escape the jam, getting Alex Rios to ground out to end the frame.
The Mets answered with an extended rally of their own in the bottom of the sixth, parlaying three hits, a hit by pitch and a fielders choice into four runs, salting away the contest and giving the Mets new life.
3 reasons the Mets are back in it
Wright stuff. It was fitting that Wright, the Mets’ captain, hit a home run in the first home World Series at-bat of his career. It was also the first home run of the postseason for Wright, who was just 7-for-41, hitting .171/.320/.220 entering play in Game 3.
With the No. 2 hitter Wright homering, and leadoff man Granderson hitting a home run in the third, the Mets’ duo accomplished a rare feat.
W/Curtis Granderson & David Wright both HRing, this is 3rd time in #WorldSeries history that the 1-2 hitters in a lineup HR'ed in same game.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2015
Young Thor. Syndergaard overcame a shaky first few innings to retire 12 in a row at one point, and lasted six innings for the win. The quality start continued a solid postseason for the right-hander, who has a 3.32 ERA in his three starts, with 26 strikeouts and eight walks in just 19 innings.
At 23 years, 62 days old on Friday night, Syndergaard was the third-youngest starting pitcher to win a World Series game in the last 18 years. During that span, only Michael Wacha (age 22 in Game 2 in 2013) and Madison Bumgarner (21 in Game 4 in 2010) younger winners during that span.
In a pinch. Mets pinch hitters in the postseason left something to be desired entering Friday night, just 1-for-11 with a walk, a sacrifice fly and eight strikeouts. But in Game 3, New York pinch hitters were 2-for-2.
Juan Lagares singled in the sixth inning, then two batters later scored when fellow pinch hitter Juan Uribe singled to drive him home. Uribe would later score in the inning, a four-run frame that put the game away. Uribe, who missed the Division Series and League Championship Series with a chest injury, hadn't batted in a game since Sept. 25.
Up next
Game 4 will be Saturday night at Citi Field, with left-hander Steven Matz on the mound for the Mets against Chris Young for the Royals. Young got the win in Game 1 with three scoreless, hitless innings of relief.
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