Royals’ Mike Moustakas ignites sixth-inning rally with glove and bat

The play unfolded in four parts, a perfect simulacrum of movement in the span of less than three seconds. The dive, and the catch. The popup, and the throw.

It was the top of the sixth on Tuesday night, Game 1 of the World Series, and the Mets’ Wilmer Flores had scalded a baseball down the third-base line with two outs. It was destined for the corner. Lucas Duda was set to sprint home from second. The Mets were poised to take a three-run lead with 12 outs left.

Then Mike Moustakas dived to his right. He sprawled onto his stomach like a man hopping on a grenade, hopped up in one motion and threw a perfect strike to first base. The defensive gem would save a run, and it also appeared to ignite Moustakas, who would tie the game at 3-3 with an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning.

With two outs and a runner on second, Moustakas saw a 0-1 curveball from Mets starter Matt Harvey and shot a single to center field, scoring Lorenzo Cain and capping a two-run charge in the bottom of the sixth.

As the Royals battled into the night — eventually claiming a 5-4 victory in a 14-inning instant classic — Moustakas had help erase the early deficit, leaving his fingerprints on the night.

Moustakas had entered the night batting .217 in these playoffs. That did not matter against Harvey in the sixth.

He finished one for five with an RBI and a flash of leather. And he nearly added another two-out RBI in the bottom of the eighth. With runners at the corners and Mets closer Jeurys Familia on the mound, Moustakas grounded out to shortstop, ending the threat.

For a 15-minute stretch in the sixth inning, Moustakas stirred Kauffman Stadium with his glove and his bat. He saved a run, nicked Harvey for a single, and set the stage for the late-inning drama.

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 12:54 AM with the headline "Royals’ Mike Moustakas ignites sixth-inning rally with glove and bat."