By the time Eric Hosmer doubled off Matt Harvey to cut the Mets’ lead in half in game five of the World Series on Sunday night, the armless chair that I occupied in games one through four had developed a groove from all the times I had winced or felt my body cringe involuntarily.
Mets fans, including this one, recoiled when closer Jeurys Familia gave up a home run to Alex Gordon that tied game one with two outs remaining in the bottom of the ninth. In what was to become a pattern, the Mets seemed to outdo the Royals. Until they didn’t.
We flinched in game four, when second baseman Daniel Murphy missed a ground ball for an error that scored the tying run, setting up Familia to blow the second of three blown saves.
On Sunday, Harvey had shut out the Royals through eight innings before insisting that manager Terry Collins allow him to start the ninth.
“Pride, meet fall,” the Daily News later scolded.
But dwelling on mistakes by the Mets overlooks the constancy that defines the Royals. It’s hard to imagine a team that competes more relentlessly, runs the bases better, or makes contact with the ball more often.
“The Royals crowd the bases with runners, and that puts on nonstop pressure,” Mets captain David Wright told reporters after game four.
Though the Mets were outmatched, both the series and the season provided plenty of euphoria. I don’t think I’ve ever loved watching pitching as much as I did watching the Mets’ young starters.
Or seeing Murphy hit seven home runs in nine postseason games, like a modern-day Babe Ruth.
It was such a joy to watch the Mets at times you didn’t want the games to end. Which is how I will remember this season.