KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Alex Gordon hit a dramatic home run off New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia to tie the score in the ninth inning, and Eric Hosmer's sacrifice fly in the 14th drove in Alcides Escobar with the winning run as the Kansas City Royals beat the Mets 5-4 in Game 1 of the World Series.
Escobar reached on David Wright's error to start the 14th and advanced to third on a single by Ben Zobrist. After an intentional walk to Lorenzo Cain loaded the bases, Hosmer lofted a fly ball to deep right field to end it.
Kansas City starter Edinson Volquez, pitching on the same day his father died in his native Dominican Republic, left trailing 3-1 after pitching six innings. But the Royals put together the kind of late-game rally they have summoned with such regularity in the AL playoffs. Zobrist began the bottom of the sixth with a double, advanced to third on a Cain single and scored on a Hosmer sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. Moments later, Mike Moustakas delivered a run-scoring single to pull the Royals even.
Hosmer's RBI was his 24th run plated in the postseason -- breaking the Kansas City club mark held by Hall of Famer George Brett.
The Mets regained the lead in the eighth when Hosmer misplayed a high chopper by Wilmer Flores, allowing Juan Lagares to score from second base and making it 4-3. But Gordon cranked a 442-foot shot over the center-field fence to tie the score and send it to extras.
Thumbs-up: The Escobar effect was in full bloom Tuesday. Kansas City's intrepid shortstop, who hit .386 (17-for-44) in the first two rounds of the playoffs and won the American League Championship Series MVP award, hit an inside-the-park home run off Matt Harvey's first pitch of the game to give Kansas City an early 1-0 lead. It was the first World Series inside-the-park home run since Mule Haas achieved the feat for the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics.
Thumbs-down: The middle of the Kansas City lineup failed to produce when the Royals had a chance to tie the score in the eighth. After Zobrist's leadoff double, Tyler Clippard struck out Cain and Hosmer. Then Familia retired Moustakas on a groundout to end the Royals' threat.
What's next: Johnny Cueto will try to give the Royals a 2-0 series lead Wednesday. In his last start at Kauffman Stadium in the finale of the division series, Cueto dominated the Houston Astros and retired the final 19 batters he faced. The Royals will be hoping for a reappearance of that version of Cueto -- and not the guy who was shelled for eight runs in two innings in an 11-8 Kansas City loss to Toronto in the LCS last week.