Page 19 - ATD 27OCT,2015

SPORTS A19
Fearsome foursome: Mets’ young aces take on Royals in series
BY MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP BASEBALL WRITER
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)
-- Anyone arriving a little
early to a New York Mets
game this season has prob-
ably witnessed “The Walk.”
Matt Harvey, Jacob de-
Grom or another emerg-
ing ace striding in from the
bullpen following pregame
warmups, with pitching
coach Dan Warthen right
alongside - and the rest of
that fearless rotation trail-
ing just behind.
For opposing hitters, it’s be- rookies Noah Syndergaard
come an imposing march
to impending doom.
“We have a lot of weap-
ons,” Harvey said Monday.
Riding four young starters
all the way through Oc-
tober, the hard-throwing
Mets are ready to fire their
best stuff at the Kansas City
Royals in the 111th World
Series.
Game 1 is Tuesday night
at Kauffman Stadium, with
Harvey set to face Edinson
Volquez.
“I don’t think any of us have
really sat back and kind of
realized what we can ac-
complish as a group,” Har-
vey said. “Right now, it’s
about our team and about
winning.”
Kansas City came excruci-
atingly close to winning it
all last year, losing Game
7 at home to Madison
Bumgarner and the San
Francisco Giants with the
potential tying run 90 feet
from home plate.
“That’s pretty hard to swal-
low. That’s going to stay
with you for a while,” Roy-
als third baseman Mike
Moustakas said. “I think the
only way to get rid of that
feeling is to go out this year
and finish the deal.”
With cohesion and cama-
raderie in mind, deGrom
said New York’s starters be-
gan watching each other
warm up during spring
Tuesday 27 October 2015
From left, New York Mets pitchers Steven Matz, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey and catcher same time,” captain David
Travis d’Arnaud walk off the field at the end of batting practice, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, in New Wright said.
York. The Mets will face the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday. Underneath the long locks
and catchy, comic-book
Associated Press nicknames like Thor (Syn-
dergaard), The Dark Knight
training, when they all There’s been much more home to Citi Field, the Mets (Harvey) and The de-
needed to be out on the good than bad for New will turn to Syndergaard Grominator, these preco-
field for the national an- York’s fantastic four under and Matz in that order - cious Mets pitchers have
them anyway. the pressure of their first making them the first team winning stuff in spades.
It’s not an entirely unique postseason. Showing sav- since the 1997 Marlins (Li- New York’s starters serve
practice - veteran team- vy, poise and grit that bely van Hernandez and Tony up much more than 95-100
mate Kelly Johnson re- their limited experience, Saunders) to start two rook- mph fastballs, too. All of
called St. Louis and Tampa they’ve already pitched ie pitchers in the World Se- them have rapidly honed
Bay pitchers doing the the Mets to their first Na- ries, according to STATS. polished off-speed pitches
same thing. But by the time tional League pennant in “I think we’re all pretty ma- and fine-tuned their ability
15 years. ture when it comes to go- to locate them precisely.
and Steven Matz were Now, they want the ulti- ing out there and stepping “These guys are going to
called up from the minors, it mate prize. on the mound,” Synder- be really good. And this ex-
was a signature part of the “We all have a mission to gaard said. perience is going to make
Mets’ routine. win this last series,” said The quartet has combined them that much better,”
“It’s just a great feeling to Matz, the Long Island lefty for only 147 career regular- Mets manager Terry Collins
go out there and know that living out every boy’s wild- season starts, by far the said recently. “They’re not
the other starting pitchers est dreams after growing fewest for a World Series just throwers, they’re legiti-
are out there supporting up a Mets fan about 50 foursome, STATS said. mate guys.”
you as well,” Syndergaard miles from Citi Field. Three of them already had And now, those prized,
said. “It’s kind of like we “There’s still work to do,” Tommy John surgery, yet electric arms New York
have almost our own little deGrom echoed. the Mets were the hardest- rebuilt around have ar-
unit to support each other Last season’s NL Rookie of throwing staff in the majors rived on baseball’s biggest
and push each other to be the Year, deGrom goes in this year. stage. They’ll take on a de-
better.” Game 2 against enigmatic “You’re talking about a termined and experienced
As catcher Travis d’Arnaud Royals newcomer Johnny handful of guys that not Royals team that thrives on
put it: “It just shows that they Cueto. After winning 14 only succeeded in match- making consistent contact
have each other’s back no games this season, deGrom ing the expectations that at the plate.
matter what. They’re al- went 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in New York had for them, “There’s only two teams
ways there for each other, three playoff outings. which is difficult in itself, but left,” Kansas City manager
good or bad.” When the series shifts back surpassing them - all at the Ned Yost said. “The whole
world is watching.”q