The New York Mets were one out away from forcing Game 6 of the 2015 World Series. Milliseconds later, the Kansas City Royals completed their ninth-inning comeback.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Mets manager Terry Collins sent Matt Harvey back to the mound in the ninth inning after the adamant ace refused to leave the game. Harvey had been brilliant through the first eight innings of the game, posting a shutout through 102 pitches.
But Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain reached base with a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth, stole second base and later scored on an Eric Hosmer double that flew over the head of Mets left fielder Michael Conforto. Collins then replaced Harvey with closer Jeurys Familia, who quickly recorded an out, but it was too late.
Hosmer moved to third on a groundout and then smartly took home on a second grounder. He waited until Mets third baseman David Wright released the ball before taking off for home. Mets first baseman Lucas Duda fielded the perfect throw cleanly, but he rushed his throw home, sending the ball flying past catcher Travis d’Arnaud and allowing Hosmer to tie the game. Duda was not charged with an error, but the run scored nonetheless.
The Royals went on to win in 12 innings, 7-2, and took home the World Series championship four games to one. Would Hosmer have scored anyway? It’s a fair question, but one we’ll never know the answer to — and one that certainly might haunt Duda for years to come.
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Thumbnail photo via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
