This might not have been the World Series matchup everyone was expecting, but the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals should create an interesting series.
The Royals entered the playoffs with the best record in the American League, although the Toronto Blue Jays offense and the Houston Astros' young talent led many to predict an upset. Meanwhile, the Mets pulled off the surprise, winning the National League pennant despite having the league's fifth-best record during the regular season.
Of course, none of that matters heading into the upcoming best-of-seven series. It will all start with both sides trying to get the edge in Tuesday's all-important Game 1.
Game 1 Info
When: Tuesday, Oct. 27
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Time: 8:07 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Probable Pitchers: Matt Harvey (Mets) vs. Edinson Volquez (Royals)
Preview
The Mets were dominant in their National League Championship Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs, winning all four games without trailing for a moment. While the focus has been on the team's young pitching, the hitting has been just as impressive.
Daniel Murphy has earned all of the headlines in the postseason thanks to his .421 batting average and seven home runs in nine games. Meanwhile, Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes have played well, too, with seven RBI apiece in the same stretch. David Wright, Lucas Duda and Travis d'Arnaud have also showed they are capable of picking up big hits.
The problem is that sweeps don't always lead to success in the next round, as MLB Stat of the Day noted:
As hot as Murphy and the rest of the Mets hitters have been in the playoffs, a six-day break is not going to help them sustain their strong play.
Jon Morosi of Fox Sports looked at a positive side of the long layoff:
Of course, nine days off for Matt Harvey might be too long for him to stay in a rhythm, as well. The 26-year-old pitcher was excellent against the Cubs, allowing just two runs in 7.2 innings, but a long layoff and a road game in a hostile atmosphere could make things tougher.
Opposing starter Edinson Volquez has been inconsistent in the playoffs, giving up five runs against the Blue Jays in his most recent start after tossing six shutout innings in Game 1. Throughout his career, the 32-year-old veteran is 1-4 with a 6.56 ERA in the postseason.
One of the big differences, however, is that Volquez does not need to go deep into the game to be effective. If he throws five solid innings, the bullpen—led by Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and especially Wade Davis—can take care of business.
This mindset also helps the Royals hitters, who know they can come from behind late. Alcides Escobar and Ben Zobrist were excellent in the American League Championship Series, but Kansas City will trot out a deep lineup featuring quality hitters such as Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and others who are all capable of coming through with an RBI when the opportunity presents itself.
Manager Ned Yost discussed his confidence going into the series, which stems from the disappointment of last year's heartbreaking World Series loss, per Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:
Last year, we hadn’t been there – and we were one historic performance from Madison Bumgarner away from winning the World Series. Now, the experience definitely helps us a little bit on our side because we’ve been there before, we know what it’s like. The confidence that these guys have, and our abilities, they knew from the first day of spring training that we’d be back here, and here we are.
Nerves will not be a problem for the Royals, and you can expect them to keep fighting inning after inning.
Look for the Mets to build an early lead in Game 1 against Volquez before surrendering a few runs in the middle innings. It will be a long series, but the home team will come away with the opening victory.
Prediction: Royals win 4-3.
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