Mets edge Royals in Simulated Series opener
How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, Paste BN Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.
Game 1: New York Mets at Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- David Wright hit a game-breaking three-run homer and Matt Harvey pitched into the eighth inning as the visiting New York Mets gained the upper hand in USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series with a 5-4 victory in Game 1.
The Mets got on the board first after squandering scoring chances in the first two innings against Royals starter Edinson Volquez. Back-to-back doubles by Lucas Duda and rookie Michael Conforto with two outs plated the first run.
Wright's 371-foot blast that just barely cleared the right field wall gave New York a 4-0 lead and helped send Volquez to an early exit after allowing 10 hits and four runs over 3 2/3 innings.
BOX SCORE: Mets 5, Royals 4
The Royals refused to quit, cutting the margin in half in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double by Lorenzo Cain, who stole third base and came home on a groundout.
Kansas City scored another run in typical fashion in the fifth when Alex Gordon doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a squeeze bunt by Alcides Escobar.
GAME SUMMARY: Inning-by-inning recap
After Wilmer Flores homered in the sixth, the persistent Royals kept the pressure on. Ben Zobrist tripled to lead off the eighth against Harvey and -- with closer Jeurys Familia warming in the bullpen -- Eric Hosmer hit a deep drive to right field that looked like it might tie the game, but Curtis Granderson made the catch up against the wall.
That was enough for Harvey, who powered his way through 7 2/3 innings before giving way to closer Jeurys Familia for a four-out save.
What to watch in (the actual) Game 1
-- The Mets' preferred path to victory is exactly the way it unfolded in Game 1 of the Simulated Series: Strong starting pitching into the eighth and Familia for one or possibly two innings to close it out. Harvey wasn't in vintage form (eight hits, five strikeouts, one walk in 7 2/3 innnings) but he got the job done.
-- Kansas City has an edge on defense that didn't make a difference in this game, but could over the course of the best-of-seven series. The Royals outfield of Gordon, Cain and Alex Rios has a decided range advantage, plus the Mets' infield defense is adequate at best.
-- A little-discussed aspect of the Series is the role the Royals' left-handed relievers could play. With Volquez getting knocked out early, southpaw Danny Duffy came in for 1 1/3 innings against the Mets' lefty-leaning lineup. He allowed a run and two hits in this game, but could be an extremely effective weapon against the likes of Granderson, Daniel Murphy, Duda and Conforto -- as well as Cespedes, who hit .310/.338/.571 against right-handers during the regular season, but only .233/.297/.439 against lefties.
Dynasty League Baseball, from the designer of Pursue the Pennant, is available in both the original Board version and the online version featuring "Series," Greatest Team bracket tournaments and continuous ownership draft leagues.
Pre-play your own 2015 World Series by signing up at Dynasty League Baseball.com and selecting "Series."
Special thanks to Baseball Info Solutions for their statistical analysis.