Mets’ Matt Harvey silences Royals’ bats — until the end

In the brief, tense seconds before the top of the ninth, as Citi Field rocked and the Big Apple held its breath, Matt Harvey paused in the first-base dugout and bowed his head. He needed a moment, one more breath before he sprung toward the field like a blocking back hitting the hole. He scooted to the edge of the mound, cradled a white pearl in his right hand and stared toward home plate, needing just three more outs to send this World Series back to Kansas City.

As Mets closer Jeurys Familia looked on from a bullpen mound, and Mets manager Terry Collins peered in from the dugout, Harvey craved the baseball and the moment, the opportunity to finish what he started. Moments later, the opportunity was gone.

Lorenzo Cain walked. Eric Hosmer lashed an RBI double to left. And just like that, Harvey’s night was done, eight innings of dominance wasted in a matter of seconds. As the Royals plated a second run, tying the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Harvey sat in the dugout and watched the Royals celebrate a World Series championship after a 7-2 victory in 12 innings Sunday night at Citi Field.

For eight innings, he had delivered a masterpiece clinic in power pitching. He struck out nine; he allowed just four hits; he needed just 103 pitches to motor through eight innings. Until the ninth inning, the Royals had put just one runner in scoring position all night — and that came when Cain singled and stole second in the first inning.

All series long, the Royals offense had haunted the Mets with its jab-jab-jab style. But there is one way to stifle an offense that relies on contact, one sure-fire method to snuff out an attack that thrives on the kinetic power of balls hitting bats. You can make the other team swing and miss.

Five days after coaxing just seven swings and misses and allowing three earned runs in Game 1, Harvey controlled the Royals with a potent pitch mix and a velocity that reached into the upper 90s. After the Mets took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Harvey made the Royals miss, squeezing the life out of Kansas City’s balanced attack. He stuck out seven different Royals hitters, including Cain and Hosmer twice apiece.

Then came the ninth inning. Collins stuck with Harvey, keeping Familia confined to the bullpen. Harvey had walked just one batter all night. He lost Cain in seven pitches. Harvey had struck out Hosmer twice. Harvey left a 94-mph fastball over too much plate, Hosmer punishing it into the left-field corner. Just like that, the Royals had life. Moments later, they would have a tied game.

And Harvey would be left to take the long walk to the dugout, three outs from the end of the line.

This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 11:22 PM with the headline "Mets’ Matt Harvey silences Royals’ bats — until the end."