It took five games and yet another improbable come-from-behind victory for the Kansas City Royals to emerge as 2015 World Series Champions. Thanks to some savvy and aggressive base running by first baseman Eric Hosmer and an extra-innings single from unlikely hero, Christian Colon, the Royals managed a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets early Monday morning, bringing Kansas City its first MLB Championship in 30 years.
Mets starter Matt Harvey looked to be well on his way to pushing the series to a sixth game, breezing through the first eight innings without surrendering a run. But FOX cameras caught Harvey arguing his way back onto the field for the ninth with Mets manager Terry Collins - something Collins admitted after the game he should not have allowed - and things unraveled for New York from there.
Harvey walked Lorenzo Cain, then allowed an opposite-field double to Hosmer, scoring Cain. Formerly sure-handed Mets closer Jeurys Familia blew his third save of the World Series on a play by Hosmer that some will deem savvy, while others likely will consider brazen and ill-advised. With Hosmer on third, Salvador Perez hit a weak chopper to third that was fielded by David Wright. Wright attempted to hold Hosmer before throwing to first, but as soon as he turned to make the throw, Hosmer took off for the plate. Mets first baseman Lucas Duda threw home and would have likely had Hosmer dead to rights, but the toss was wild and Hosmer scored, tying the game and sending it to extras.
In the 12th, Jarrod Dyson entered as a pinch runner after Perez blooped a single off Addison Reed. Dyson stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored the go-ahead run on Colon's unexpected single. Prior to the at bat against Reed, Colon hadn't stepped to the plate in the postseason.
The Royals would add four more runs in the inning and the game, and the series, was theirs.