Unsung Heroes Who Are Coming Up Big in the 2015 World Series
From Chris Young to Mike Moustakas, plenty of unsung heroes have pushed the Kansas City Royals to the brink of winning the 2015 World Series.
With the Royals holding a 3-1 advantage over the New York Mets, this list of understated but indispensable contributors is dominated by Kansas City players.
However, there is room for one Mets veteran who made a habit of delivering in big moments during the regular season and who has been doing the exact same thing on baseball's biggest stage.
Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals
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The Unsung Moment(s): Game 1, 2 and 4
Mike Moustakas delivered with his glove and his bat in the sixth inning of the World Series opener.
In the top half of that frame, the third baseman dove to snare a grounder off the bat of Wilmer Flores before popping up to throw out the New York Mets shortstop at first. The impressive play kept the Royals within two runs of the visitors.
In the bottom half of the inning, Moose connected on a two-out single off starter Matt Harvey that tied the contest at 3-3.
One night later, Moustakas provided another two-out RBI hit—this time off Jacob deGrom. Like so many of his teammates, Moustakas looks unusually comfortable in high-pressure situations. As he explained after Game 2, that comfort is the product of familiarity.
Moustakas told Erin Andrews during a postgame interview on Fox: “It's because we've been here before. We've been with our backs up against the wall—against the [Oakland Athletics] in the Wild Card Game last year. We've been in these situations. So, we're comfortable with where we're at and we've just got to go out and continue to play good ball. And we're a confident group of guys.”
It comes as little surprise that the third baseman would once again be right in the middle of the Royals' late rally in Game 4. In the eighth inning of that clash, Moustakas connected on a single against Jeurys Familia, which brought in the go-ahead run in the team's 5-3 win.
Edinson Volquez, SP, Kansas CIty Royals
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The Unsung Moment: His Game 1 Start
Edinson Volquez didn't throw a gem in Game 1 at Kauffman Stadium.
But with the Kansas City Royals sporting a bullpen that gives opposing teams nightmares, the club doesn't need gems. What the Royals need is for their starters to keep the team in the contest for the first five to six innings before the bullpen enters to slam the door.
That's exactly what Volquez did by allowing three earned run on six hits in six innings of work. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Volquez learned right after the start that his father had just passed away in the Dominican Republic.
General manager Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost were aware of the news just before the game but didn't tell Volquez at the request of his family.
“Eddie was out there pitching his tail off,’’ Yost said, per Nightengale. “And I kept thinking, 'His first start in a World Series. And his dad isn’t watching him.'"
His second start in the World Series will come in Game 5, as the right-hander has the chance to help the Royals clinch their first title since 1985.
Curtis Granderson, RF, New York Mets
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The Unsung Moment: Game 3
During the regular season Curtis Granderson was one of the club's most consistent producers. According to FanGraphs, his WAR of 5.1 was second on the squad, behind only Yoenis Cespedes' (6.7).
So, it's only fitting the right fielder would play a key role in Game 3, the Mets' only win so far in the World Series. The lefty hitter set the tone for the night by hitting a leadoff single, which sparked a two-run rally in the first.
In the third inning, Granderson hooked a two-run homer just inside the foul pole in right, which handed the Mets a 4-3 lead that they wouldn't hand back. After that shot, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports dubbed Granderson the "most valuable Met."
Based on the way Cespedes transformed New York's season upon his arrival at Citi Field in the end of July, there's a serious argument that the Cuban owns that title. But for Mets who spent the entire season with the team, none has been more valuable than the veteran leadoff hitter, Granderson.
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Chris Young, SP, Kansas City Royals
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The Unsung Moment: His Game 1 Relief Outing
For a 36-year-old journeyman, Chris Young sure has made his mark in the World Series.
The righty secured the win for the Royals in Game 1 by shutting down the Mets for the final three frames of the epic 14-inning opening tilt. Young racked up four strikeouts in the process and explained afterward that the relief stint was simply business as usual.
"I was just ready, whatever the team needs," Young said, per Anthony DiComo and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. "That's been my role all season, whether it's starting or relieving, just trying to help this team win."
Young then began Game 4 by retiring the first six batters he faced. The vet was off to such a promising start that Buster Olney of ESPN suggested Young was an early candidate to win the World Series MVP.
Ultimately, he only made it through four innings, allowing a pair of runs. While his outing was brief, Young managed to keep the Royals in the game and provided his club with the platform to orchestrate yet another late rally.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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