Royals' Edinson Volquez gives up leadoff home run to start Game 5
NEW YORK - Edinson Volquez's return to World Series competition following the death of his father proved challenging on just the third pitch he threw.
Pitching five days after his father Daniel passed away in the Dominican Republic, Volquez gave up a home run to the New York Mets' leadoff batter, Curtis Granderson, in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night.
Volquez pitched an excellent six innings in Game 1, eventually won in 14 innings by the Kansas City Royals. Immediately after he was removed from that game, Volquez was informed his father had died in the Dominican Republic after battling a heart condition.
He returned home to be with his family and flew to New York on Saturday, arriving just as Game 4 began. The 5-3 Royals victory gave them a 3-1 Series lead, and Volquez acknowledged afterward that he looked forward to pitching for a championship to honor his father's memory.
“We all know what he’s been going through, but he’s super focused,’’ catcher Salvador Perez said. “He asked the manager for the ball and told him, ‘I’m going to pitch.’’
"I just want to thank God for my opportunity to be on the mound and show the world what I have to compete with other team and give our a chance our team to win," Volquez said on Saturday. "I'm pretty sure my dad is going to be proud of me when I pitch tomorrow on the mound. We'll see."
Volquez threw two quick strikes to Granderson, then hung a changeup. Granderson ripped his third home run of the season to put the Mets up 1-0, but Volquez recovered to strike out David Wright and Daniel Murphy, and retired Yoenis Cespedes on a groundout to third.
In the second, Volquez issued a leadoff walk to Lucas Duda, but settled down quickly, inducing a double-play ground ball from catcher Travis d'Arnaud, and then striking out Michael Conforto on a changeup to end the inning.
He was removed after the sixth inning, allowing just one earned run on two hits, five walks and five strikeouts.
GALLERY: BEST OF THE WORLD SERIES