2015 World Series Game 2: Odds, TV, Start Time, Probables
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New York Mets at Kansas City Royals
Location: Kaufmann Stadium, Kansas City, MO
First Pitch: 8:07 p.m.
Over/Under: 7
TV: FOX (Joe Buck, Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci)
Radio: ESPN (Dan Shulman and Aaron Boone)
Starting Lineups:
Mets: Royals:
Curtis Granderson – RF Alcides Escobar – SS
David Wright – 3B Ben Zobrist – 2B
Daniel Murphy – 2B Lorenzo Cain – CF
Yoenis Cespedes – LF Eric Hosmer – 1B
Lucas Duda – 1B Kendrys Morales – DH
Travis d’Arnaud – C Mike Moustakas – 3B
Michael Conforto – DH Salvador Perez – C
Wilmer Flores – SS Alex Gordon – LF
Juan Lagares – CF Alex Rios – RF
Starting Pitchers:
New York: Jacob deGrom
Kansas City: Johnny Cueto
Tuesday night, the fans at Kaufmann Stadium and anyone watching on TV saw a thriller in game one of the Fall Classic. The Royals outlasted the Mets in a 14-inning marathon 5-4 after Eric Hosmer hit a sac fly with the bases loaded that allowed Alcides Escobar to score on, giving his team a 1-0 lead in the series. Escobar who scored the winning run, also got the scoring for the Royals started when he led off the bottom of the first with an inside the park home run. We’ll see tonight what these two teams have in store when it comes to an encore after an exciting five hour plus, game one.
KEYS TO THE GAME: NEW YORK METS
The bottom of the order for the Mets with the exception of Wilmer Flores, didn’t really produce in game one. The team will need more production from them in game two to help take some pressure off the top of the order, while taking advantage of the DH position in the American League park.
Pitcher Jacob deGrom is 3-0 in the postseason so far with a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings pitched. The stat that really stands out to me though is the 27 strikeouts in those 20 innings pitched. He will need to get going early in game two and try to set the tone for the Mets, something that Matt Harvey wasn’t able to do in game one.
Despite hitting the go-ahead homer in the fifth inning Tuesday night, Curtis Granderson wasn’t the impact player he has been so far this postseason. Look for him to turn things around in game two and provide a spark not only with the bat but on the base paths for New York.
KEYS TO THE GAME: KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Alcides Escobar got things going in a big way for the Royals in game one when he led off the bottom of the first with only the second inside the park home run in World Series history. He was the MVP of the ALCS and he appears to have carried that momentum into the Fall Classic with him. That being said, after hitting the home run last night, he was hitless the rest of the evening. He needs to get on base a few times in game two and put pressure on the Mets pitching staff.
After game one, it looks like second baseman Ben Zobrist is the front runner for MVP of the series if the Royals end up winning. He was the only player with three or more hits. Look for him to be the x-factor again in game two.
The Royals committed only their second error of the postseason last night. This was more than likely a fluke and they will get back to their extremely strong fundamentals in game two of the series.
IMPACT PLAYER: NEW YORK METS
New York second baseman Daniel Murphy’s streak of six games in a row of hitting a home run was snapped last night. He did however have two hits in five trips to the plate. Look for him to be the stand out player for the Mets in game two on Wednesday night. He has now hit safely 18 times in 45 at-bats this postseason, good enough for a .400 batting average.
IMPACT PLAYER: KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Royals catcher Salvador Perez had a couple base hits in game one last night, but I really think he’s going to display some power in game two. He loves hitting the fastball and Jacob de’Grom loves throwing them. This matchup appears to be in the favor of Perez. Look for him to be the impact player for the Royals in game two, tonight.
PREDICTION:
Any time you play extra innings, it takes more out of you than the normal nine inning game. These two teams played 14 innings in game one and hope to play the regular amount in game two. The Royals won game one thanks to clutch pitching by right-hander Chris Young and a sac fly by Eric Hosmer. If the Mets can get the bottom third of their batting order going and Jacob de’Grom brings his A-game, I like New York to tie up the series before heading back to Citi Field for game three on Thursday.
NEW YORK – 3 KANSAS CITY – 2