Kansas City 7
Cyclones 2
Nov. 1 at MCU Park North (12 innings)
Lucas Duda’s throwing error with two outs in the ninth allowed the tying run to score and the Royals piled on five runa in the 12th to take the 2015 World Series.
Starting pitcher Matt Harvey, who never pitched an inning in Brooklyn, was cruising with a 2–0 lead into the ninth when a leadoff walk and a double scored one and put a runner on second with no outs.
In came closer and non-Cyclone Jeurys Familia, who got Mike Moustakas to ground to first before giving up a ground ball to David Wright at third. Wright’s throw to Duda was in plenty of time to get the runner, but Eric Hosmer headed for home as Wright made his throw to first. Duda fired way off-line to home plate and Hosmer scored the tying run.
The Cyclones couldn’t muster any more runs, and Kansas City finally broke through in the 12th — helped by a Daniel Murphy error.
The only bright spot for Cyclones was rookie sensation Mike Conforto, who had two hits and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Technically speaking, that run would have been the difference, as Cyclones pitchers once again didn’t allow a run. So the Clones should have won 1–0. You could also say that Duda’s error allowed the tying run to score, which makes these alternate-universe-type stories tough to write. That, of course, is why we normally avoid them.
