The Royals took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 5-3 win Saturday night.

The Mets did not play particularly well or particularly smart. The final punch in the stomach came in the 9th inning when Yoenis Cespedes got doubled off first base on a soft liner to end the game.

Of course the big one was when Daniel Murphy failed to field a ball in the eighth inning that allowed the tying run to score.

One of the ideas that’s gained traction in the playoffs is how Terry Collins is pushing all of the right buttons. But he went to the well too often with three pitchers tonight. He tried to get an extra inning out of Steven Matz, he put in Tyler Clippard, who has been terrible in the playoffs when pitching with less than a six-run lead and he brought in Jeurys Familia for another extended save. And for the second time in the World Series, Familia failed to get the job done.

By far the best thing of the game for the Mets was Michael Conforto, who blasted two homers. The first was an upper deck shot into the Pepsi Porch. The second was off a LHP.

The Mets will try to stave off elimination Sunday with Matt Harvey on the mound.

18 comments on “World Series Gut Reaction: Royals 5, Mets 3

  • Rob Rogan

    Murph gonna Murph. So much for those homers. This will be what he’s remembered for as a Met.

    Still, plenty of blame to go around for the loss. Clippard, Familia, the offense, Collins’ decisions. Just a bad game all around at the end there.

  • Pete

    Wrong time to have a bad game (by TC, the defense and the baserunning) Should of taken Clippard out after the first walk. Needed to bring in Niese and or Colon to bridge into the gap between Matz and the ninth for Familia. Asking way too much from him. Even then he should of gotten better support. Heck of a time for Murph to turn into a pumpkin. Cespedes can share the goat with him. Bone head plays. Where’s the first base coach reminding Cespedes there was only 1 out? Where was he going?

    • TexasGusCC

      Pete, while I often get annoyed at Cespedes diva act, but this time he was running so hard that I guess he felt that the ball would drop and they would turn a DP if he didn’t take out the second baseman. He would have knocked Zobrist into left field. It’s a terrible looking play, equal to Kolten Wong getting picked off to end Game 4 two years ago.

  • TexasGusCC

    We are all very upset as the game just ended, and for the second time this series our bullpen couldn’t hold a late lead. It’s not over, but they need to wake up. This is a team of free swingers and mental mistakes; that, we have witnessed for years.

    Murphy is a good team player and that error will haunt him. I hope the Mets can come back to at least tie the series and get Murphy off the hook, as he deserves better.

  • Pete

    Gus then you go half way and still have the ability to get back if it’s caught. Helluva time to misread a play. That’s the second one for Cespedes! Just hope there isn’t a third.

    • Pete

      Better yet. There’s a base runner in front of him. You follow his lead.

  • James Preller

    Very painful loss. Didn’t sleep well last. Another team-wide failure, but I can’t defend TC this morning. He mismanaged the team’s #1 asset. Plus, he let Clippard lose the game. That shouldn’t have happened. Using Familia in the 9-3 win . . .

    Back to the players: They aren’t getting it done.

  • LGMNOW

    TC did what most managers would have done. That is to stick with an established pattern of behavior. Yet in thinking about what the game showed last bight I ask why didn’t he keep Colon in the game and why is it always Addison Reed for the seventh and Clippard in the 8th? Then Robles ha a perfect 9th after the lead was lost. Isn’t the way to win by successfully doing the unexpected. These are all moot points but the Mets have now lost two games that they should have closed for wins. Questions need to be asked because in doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is the definition of you know what. If those two loses weren’t insane outcomes then what is? All we can now hope for is for the Mets to change their pattern of losing and transform it into winning baseball. In other words, do the unexpected and win the next three. Otherwise, it is back o the proverbial drawing board again. Next season I fully expect the Mets four division rivals to all be better teams. It will not get easier n 2016. Right now the Mets need to demonstrate they have more desire to win than the Royals and during the off season to at the minimum replace Cespedes and Murphy with better players who are equipped not only talent wise but physically and emotionally tough enough to finish what they have now started to do, play winning baseball. Lets Go Mets!

  • Larry Smith

    I agree that Collins is too locked into his roles system. If Clippard has shown he can’t be a dependable 8th inning guy – and it certainly now looks that way – then he should be demoted to earlier use.
    More to the point is the fact that Addison Reed looked like he was doing well. No reason to limit him to just his one inning. Let him, rather than the shakier Clippard, start the 8th inning.
    The Royals just keep making contact and the Mets’ defense, especially with Tejada gone, can’t make enough plays to keep runs off the board.

  • Pete

    Larry TC went away from his good play reward system and reverted back to his old methods. Some players rise to the occasion. Some wither in the spotlight. At least have Addison start the next inning and if he gives up a hit then make the change. Having Familia pitch in the blow out came back to bite Collins in the ass. You’re giving KC too many opportunities to see and study Familia.

  • DED

    Steven Matz had electric stuff last night. He still has things to learn; hopefully someone will suggest that he occasionally go upstairs with the heater, especially the second time through the lineup.

  • Metsense

    A very frustrating loss.
    I have always had the feeling that Daniel Murphy would make a key error in an important game. The fact that we were playing an important game was because of Murphy. I admire
    Daniel Murphy, his work ethic and the way he stood up during the post game interviews. This postseason has not changed my opinion though that the Mets may be better the next five years with Herrera.
    I must admit that using Familia with a 6 run lead was a mistake. I understood Collins thinking but in reflection it was faulty.
    I also did not like using both long men in the same inning in a one run game. One should have been held back in case of extra innings.
    Harvey, deGrom and Syndergaard give us an opportunity to close the season with a 3 game winning streak. The offense needs to score more than three runs. Let’s go Mets!

    • Steve S.

      I agree with your points!

      Defense up the middle is important, and while I can live with Flores at SS, we cannot continue with Murphy at 2B. Lagares also needs to be in CF next year. I can now accept not signing both Cespedes and Murph, but use some money to beef up the bullpen and bench.

      I hope Harvey, deGrom and Thor still have something left in the tank (especially the first two)!

      BTW, I would still can Collins, even though he’s getting media accolades.

  • Chris F

    The series should be 3-1 Mets. Give away extra outs. Fail to beat up lousy pitching. Make critical
    mistakes. It all adds up to losing. Who’d of thunk the best pitching we would see would be Syndergaard and Matz. Very depressing.

    • Name

      Syndergaard ending up having the same result as Matt Harvey. 6 IP 3 ER. But he had the benefit of 9 runs behind him so it seems like he was better.
      Matz only went 5, so i’m not sure how it was much better than Noah/Harvey.

      Mets SP have a 4.90 ERA in 4 games. They did a great job of getting here, but if you want to place “blame” on why we’re not winning this series, they’re the reason why. Except against Cueto, the offense has done their job in 3/4 games. The SP haven’t what their capable of in any of the games

  • Matty Mets

    Enough blaming this series on errors. Coaching decisions and relievers. These games wouldn’t be close if this frickin team would hit.

  • NormE

    No where in these comments am I seeing the recognition that the Mets are playing a very good team that is in its second consecutive year in the WS. Hopefully the Mets can learn some lessons in how to reach the next level.

  • Pete

    It’s as if the Met’s SP’s completely changed their approach on how to get the KC hitters out. You can’t go away from your strengths just to make an adjustment Harvey throwing less fast balls to set up his other pitches. First pitch of the World Series should of been up and tight. Just to send a reminder that the SP’s were not going to be intimidated by Royal hitters.Unfortunately it happened in game 3 not game 1. Wondering if Harvey and deGrom’s have “tired” arms?

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