The New York Mets have averaged 6.2 runs per home game this season and continued to prove their home field dominance with a 9-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the World Series. The Royals, however, lead the series 2-1.
The Royals jumped out to a quick lead when Eric Hosmer grounded out, but his fielder's choice was enough to score Ben Zobrist and give Kansas City a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
The Captain, David Wright, was not going to allow his team to go down and out early in Game 3. He waisted no time getting the Mets on the board with a two-run shot to left field scoring veteran Curtis Granderson to make it a 2-1 lead in the first.
Kansas City added two runs in the second inning to take a 3-2 lead on an RBI single from Alex Rios, who later scored on a passed ball.
The rest of the way, it was all New York in the Big Apple on Friday night.
"We get our offense going a little bit, we play better baseball," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
Granderson cranked out a two-run home run after pitcher Noah Syndergaard singled in the third. Rookie outfielder Michael Conforto put his stamp on the game with an RBI infield single.
The 23-year-old pitcher is the second youngest Mets pitcher to win a World Series game, the youngest was Gary Gentry. Syndergaard went six innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks, but punched out six in the win.
Syndergaard made the Royals swing and miss 16 times on Friday night. The other pitchers in the World Series have combined for just 19 swings and misses.
"Real big game for us," Collins said. "He delivered. He came through exactly as we expected."
On the other side of the ball, Yordano Ventura toed the slab for the Royals, but he could not make it through the fourth inning. The 24-year-old starter gave up five runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings pitched.
"He just wasn't sharp," Royals manager Ned Yost said about his starter. "Fastball velocity was down. Made a couple mistakes."
In the sixth inning, Juan Uribe, who has not played since September 25 due to injury, got back in action with an RBI single to right to make it 6-3, Mets. It was a successful pinch-hit opportunity for Uribe, who is now 1-for-1 on the postseason.
The Captain drove in Wilmer Flores and Uribe to give the Mets a commanding 8-3 lead. Yoenis Cespedes, who New York traded for with the Detroit Tigers at the deadline, added a sacrifice fly to make it a six run lead, 9-3.
Wright finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and four RBI in the win. The only player with more than four RBI in a World Series game was Rusty Staub with five in 1973. Granderson chipped in with two hits and two RBI.
Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia combined for three perfect innings to secure the victory over the Royals in Game 3 of the World Series.
The nine runs scored in the victory was the second most runs scored in a World Series game for the franchise. The Mets once scored 10 runs in 1973 on the road against the Oakland Athletics.
On Saturday, the Mets will send 24-year-old left-hander Steven Matz to the hill to try and tie the series up. For the Royals, the 36-year-old Chris Young will oppose Matz in a veteran against rookie showdown.