Royals beat Mets in marathon World Series opener

Longest ever World Series Game One decided in 14 innings as Kansas City edge out opponents 5-4.

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The game lasted five hours and nine minutes [AP]

The Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the New York Mets 5-4 in 14 innings and draw first blood in the marathon opener of the best-of-seven World Series.

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Eric Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly to right off 42-year-old reliever Bartolo Colon to score Alcides Escobar and end an enthralling start to the Major League Baseball championship.

Escobar reached first on an error by third baseman David Wright and advanced to third on a single to right by Ben Zobrist. After an intentional walk to Lorenzo Cain, Hosmer hit the long fly to right that set off a celebration on the diamond.

“I wanted to redeem myself from earlier,” said Hosmer, whose eighth-inning error allowed the Mets to take a 4-3 lead and made him the potential goat of the game.

“That’s the beauty of this game. You always have a chance to redeem yourself.”

The five-hour, nine-minute battle, the longest ever World Series Game One, was won by scheduled Game Four starter Chris Young, who threw three hitless innings with four strikeouts.

The Royals sent the game to extra innings in dramatic fashion when, trailing 4-3 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Alex Gordon clouted a long home run off Mets closer Jeurys Familia to tie it 4-4.

It was Familia’s first blown save since July and Gordon’s blast stunned the Mets.

Game Two of the Fall Classic will be played on Wednesday at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium.

Source: Reuters