It took seven games for Kansas City to take down the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1985 World Series—the last time the Royals could call themselves world champions. Sunday night, they'll try to dispatch the New York Mets in Game 5 at Citi Field to end that 30-year wait between titles.
But don't expect the Mets to be gracious hosts.
The team that had one of baseball's best home records during the regular season (49-32) has lost only one home game in the playoffs—Game 4 of the World Series, a contest the Mets led heading into the eighth inning.
What follows are the keys each team will have to hit on if it hopes to emerge victorious when things get underway at 8:07 p.m. ET Sunday night.
Edinson Volquez Must Keep His Emotions in Check
There's no lonelier place on the field than the pitching mound, and being alone with his thoughts is probably the last thing Edinson Volquez needs right now, only five days after the death of his father, Daniel.
Nobody would have blamed Volquez had he told Royals manager Ned Yost he couldn't take the ball in Game 5. But that's not what his family wants for him.
"I wish [my dad] could be here right now and enjoy every game that I pitch," Volquez told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. "... My mom told me before I got here: 'Go over there and enjoy the game like you always do and be proud. We are proud of you.'"
Yost said that Volquez's father would have wanted his son to pitch.
"It was like Chris Young when his dad passed away," Yost told USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz. "Chris just knew how proud his dad was of him and that his dad would want him to carry on. His dad would want him to be on that mound and helping his team win. And I imagine that Edi's dad would want the same thing for Edi."
Volquez will not only be battling a formidable Mets lineup but the myriad emotions running through his head.
"It's hard, but you know the mind controls everything you do," Volquez told Ortiz.
Whether or not he can keep his focus and get into a rhythm will dictate how effective he is on the hill.
Nos. 3 and 4 Hitters Need To Show Up for Both Teams
Teams typically put their best hitters in the middle of their lineups to maximize production, with the hope being that they step to the plate with at least one runner on base and a chance to put a run (or more) on the board.
But through the first four games of the Fall Classic, the players hitting third and fourth haven't come close to meeting the expectations that come with those prime lineup spots.
You could argue New York needs a productive Daniel Murphy, who powered the team through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and Yoenis Cespedes, who sparked the team to its division title, more than Kansas City needs a productive Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer.
Given the current situation, which finds the Mets facing elimination, maybe that's a valid argument. But with that comes added pressure for Murphy and Cespedes, who both could be playing their last game as Mets.
Murphy, Cespedes and Cain are each 3-for-17, while Hosmer is 2-for-15, though he does have five RBI.
Regardless of which team needs that extra production more, if any of the aforementioned players show signs of life, they will go a long way toward determining the outcome at Citi Field.
Halloween Can't End Just Yet for Matt Harvey
While the calendar has flipped to November and Halloween is behind us, Matt Harvey needs to show up at Citi Field in full costume. The Mets don't need Harvey on the mound in Game 5—they need The Dark Knight.
Harvey is the guy who allowed seven baserunners and three earned runs over six innings in Game 1 while throwing his fastball less often than usual. By his own admission, he struggled to get comfortable on the mound:
The Dark Knight is the guy who tossed 7.2 innings of four-hit, two-run ball with nine strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. The guy who, during the regular season, pitched to a 2.23 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 17 starts in front of the citizens of Gotham.
If the Mets are to have any chance of forcing Game 6 in Kansas City, they need their superhero to, well, do superhero things in Game 5.
Unless otherwise noted/linked, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.
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