Mets strike back, beat Royals 9-3 in Game 3 of the World Series

The first thing Ned Yost locates inside a ballpark is the scoreboard’s radar gun. The numbers help him discern from the dugout the pitch selection and viability of his staff. Here at Citi Field, where the Royals took part in Game 3 of the World Series, the readings flash on a screen high above the right-field fence, framed in the foreground as jets cruise over Flushing Bay into LaGuardia Airport.

In the second and third inning of a 9-3 loss to the Mets, which reduced Kansas City to a 2-1 advantage in the Fall Classic, a curiously low batch of numbers rolled across the screen, numbers that rarely appear when Yordano Ventura is on the mound: 92, 93, 94. The radar gun foretold Ventura’s doom, as he surrendered a pair of two-run homers and failed to complete the fourth inning.

“He doesn’t feel good at all,” said Christian Colon, who translated for Ventura. “He had a chance to put team up, 3-0. And he didn’t do that.”

The third game of this World Series did not produce a classic. But it did escalate the antipathy between two clubs, a roiling fire erupting after the first pitch of the game.

The matchup on Friday was marketed as a duel between young flamethrowers. Only one showed up. Noah Syndergaard, a 23-year-old rookie from Texas, announced his presence with a head-high, 98-mph fastball that knocked down Royals leadoff man Alcides Escobar. The pitch infuriated the Royals. Emboldened by six quality innings, Syndergaard refused to back down after the game.

“If they have a problem with me throwing inside, then they can meet me 60 feet, six inches away,” Syndergaard said. “I’ve got no problem with that.”

The Royals saved their fury for after the game. Ventura never retaliated, even though he faced Syndergaard in the third inning. The players responded only with rhetoric. Alex Rios called Syndergaard “unprofessional.” Escobar shook his head and said, “That’s bad right there.” Eric Hosmer vowed some form of revenge.

“We’ll find a way to get back at him,” Hosmer said.

A simple solution exists. Two victories on the next two nights would deliver a championship to Kansas City. But the Royals missed a chance to grab a three-game lead not because Syndergaard threw inside. The team missed its chance because Ventura lacked life on his fastball and failed to locate the baseball.

Ventura collected 10 outs and gave up five runs. As the game crumbled around him in the fourth, Ventura neglected to cover first base, the sort of error that looks more egregious on the game’s largest stage. On this platform last season, in Game 2 and Game 6 of the World Series against San Francisco, Ventura allowed only two runs in 12 1/3 innings. A year later, he looked vulnerable from the start and never stifled the charge of the Mets.

“You could tell he was starting to get a little flustered,” Yost said. “Started losing his focus and concentration at that point.”

After Ventura left the game, Franklin Morales offered a miniaturized meltdown. He gave up a single, hit a batter, allowed an RBI single to pinch-hitter Juan Uribe and committed a baffling error in which he failed to throw to any base after fielding a comeback. Kelvin Herrera could not put out the fire. He gave up a two-run single to David Wright and a sacrifice fly to Yoenis Cespedes to complete a four-run Mets rally.

In the aftermath of the blowout, most of the discussion will center on Syndergaard’s first pitch. It is worth remembering what happened soon after, and how Ventura’s performance damaged his club’s chances.

Syndergaard allowed five hits or fewer in both of his first two starts this postseason. He gave up only four runs total. In the first two innings on Friday, the Royals piled up six hits and scored three times. He looked wobbly until suddenly he wasn’t. Before Mike Moustakas recorded an infield single in the sixth, Syndergaard had retired 12 in a row.

The Royals turn to Chris Young for Game 4 on Saturday night. Young earned a victory after three innings of scoreless relief in Game 1. Despite the workload, Yost indicated Young would be able to operate without restrictions in this coming start.

Neither club possessed a wealth of experience against the opposing pitcher. The only Met to ever face Ventura was Cespedes. The only Royal to ever face Syndergaard was Cueto. Yost kept his pregame scouting report on Syndergaard succinct.

“The kid throws a hundred miles an hour with a big curveball,” Yost said. “He's big, he's tough.”

Syndergaard hinted on Thursday he had a plan to face Alcides Escobar, Kansas City’s free-swinging leadoff man. Escobar had offered at the first pitch he saw in his last eight games. Syndergaard quipped he had “a few tricks up my sleeve” to combat Escobar.

He was not kidding. To open the evening, Syndergaard caused Escobar to fall onto the seat of his pants. The baseball rattled to the backstop. The crowd howled.

“That’s bad right there,” Escobar said. “He threw the first pitch right at my head.”

The gesture from Syndergaard – try and hit this – did not go unnoticed. The television cameras captured Moustakas hurling expletives at Sydergaard from the bench.

“No one’s happy about that,” Hosmer said. “Any time you throw at one your teammates, when it gets thrown at his head, it’s not going to go over well.”

After Escobar struck out, Ben Zobrist walloped a double off the center-field wall. He would score thanks to heady base-running and imprecise fielding by the Mets.

As a response, the Mets leaned upon their captain, Wright. He is the last connection to his franchise’s division-winning club in 2006. He suffered through six consecutive losing season. In his first-ever World Series at bat at Citi Field, as Curtis Granderson stood at first base, Wright battered a 96-mph fastball that carried over the left field wall.

“Wright was all over his fastball on that one,” Hosmer said.

The Royals did not roll over. They opened the second with singles from Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon and Alex Rios. The last plated Perez, but Gordon was thrown out trying to run from first to third. Rios reached second on the throw.

That meant Ventura would bat in the playoffs for the first time. He dropped a clean bunt on an 0-1 fastball to bring Rios to third base. The extra 90 feet was a boon for the Royals. Rios scored when catcher Travis d’Arnaud could not smother a curveball in the dirt.

Ventura retired the side in order in the bottom of the second. The only reason for concern was the radar gun. His fastball did not top 94 mph.

“He said he feels great,” Colon said. “Felt great out there. He doesn’t know why his velocity was down.”

An inning later, Ventura pumped two fastballs to Syndergaard for strikes. His next choice backfired. Ventura sped up Syndergaard’s bat with a curveball. Syndergaard smacked a single into center.

Ventura found 94 mph on a 2-1 fastball. Except the location betrayed him. Granderson hammered the thigh-high heater down the right-field line. The ball only traveled an estimated 347 feet, but far enough to scrape the wall and give the Mets the lead.

“A lot of pitches were just coming back over the middle of the plate,” Colon said. “And that’s what happens when you leave them up.”

The Mets overpowered Ventura in the fourth. Lucas Duda led off with a single. Travis d’Arnaud hammered a 93-mph fastball for a double. Duda held at third, and pitching coach Dave Eiland visited the mound to settle Ventura down. The message did not take.

After talking to Eiland, Ventura induced a grounder off the bat off rookie outfielder Michael Conforto. Hosmer strayed to his right to field it. He left the bag vacant. Ventura idled near the third-base line, making no movement to cover the base. A run would have scored regardless, but now Conforto received credit for a single.

“He just wasn’t sharp today,” Yost said.

Ventura’s night would end one batter later. Danny Duffy stranded two batters and Luke Hochevar spun a scoreless fifth. But for the sixth, Yost chose Morales over another inning from Hochevar, a clean start for Herrera or even an extended stint from Kris Medlen. The Mets pounced on Morales and reduced him to rubble.

After the game, Syndergaard occupied center stage. His first pitch transformed into a symbol for the Mets’ defiance in the face of their foes. Little could be discerned about the troubles of Ventura or his disappearing velocity.

Before Syndergaard performed during his press conference, a reporter asked Ventura if he felt the series would return to Kauffman Stadium. Colon translated his answer.

“We play hard, and he doesn’t expect it to go back to Kansas City,” Colon said. “So we’re going to try to finish it off here.”

It was a fine bit of tough talk on a night dominated by it. But if this series does return to the Midwest for Game 6 and beyond, responsibility for some of that lays at Ventura’s feet.

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Mets strike back, beat Royals 9-3 in Game 3 of the World Series."