Lucas Duda made a wild throw home in the top of the ninth to allow Eric Hosmer to score the tying run and with that, a World Series that seemed destined to head back to Kansas City was over after the Royals beat the Mets, 7-2, in 12 innings in Game 5 at Citi Field.
“That really did take some [guts],” Duda said of Hosmer’s sprint home. “It’s the top of the ninth, two outs. You’ve got to tip your cap.”
Lorenzo Cain walked, stole second and was doubled in by Eric Hosmer to make it 2-1. A grounder that Duda fielded successfully moved Hosmer to third and set up Salvador Perez’s grounder to third that will live on in infamy in Queens.
David Wright grabbed Perez’s grounder and briefly looked Hosmer back to third, but not for long enough.
“I had my back to him and tried my best to check him and freeze him at third, but that’s tough to do when nobody’s over there covering,” Wright said. “It’s just a play that ended up working out for them.”
One of many in the Series.
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“They’re aggressive on the basepaths,” Wright said. “They put their foot on the gas the entire series.’’
After Wright threw Perez out at first, Hosmer dashed home, where an accurate throw may have gotten him.
Instead, Duda threw it well to the first-base side of the plate, leaving Travis d’Arnaud no chance to get Hosmer.
It was the kind of aggressive play the Royals made throughout the World Series, as they feasted on poor Mets’ defense and indecisiveness.
“He got an outstanding read,” Duda said of Hosmer. “I didn’t make the throw. No excuses.”
Duda said he was a “little bit” surprised Hosmer took off.
“The game’s on the line and he went for it,” Duda said. “I caught him out of the corner of my eye. … I’m not sure I could have got him. I haven’t seen the video.”
There were key misplays earlier in the Series by Wright and Yoenis Cespedes and Kansas City seemed to capitalize on most of them.
And it got the Royals their first World Series title in 30 years, while the Mets and Duda will have to wait at least one more season to snap their streak.
“This hurt,” Wright said. “We were pretty close to winning the World Series, but there’s no lead that’s safe with these guys. You know they’re going to make a run.”
In the end, Wright wasn’t kicking himself.
“This went from the worst year I’ve had into the most fun I had on a baseball field,” said Wright, who will now take time off before consulting with doctors about future back treatment.
