Alcides Escobar – Spark plug helped lead Royals to Championship with record setting 15-game post-season hitting streak.
The 2015 MLB post season is behind us (sad face here) and the Kansas City Royals are the World Series Champions – thanks primarily to a strong bullpen and an offense that put the ball in play and kept the pressure on the opposition. The Royals not only scored often, they scored often LATE. That made for some pretty exciting baseball. Here are just a few things about the 2015 post-season that caught BBRT’s eye:
- The Royals’ Alcides Escobar started the 2015 post-season with a zero-for-four day in the Royals’ 5-2 loss to the Astros (October 8). That was the last time he would be held without a hit in 2015, as the KC spark plug ran off a single-post-season record 15-game hitting streak. Escobar hit .329 for the 2015 post-season and led all players with 23 base hits.
- The Royals’ Ben Zobrist rapped eight doubles in the 2015 post season, tying the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols and David Freese for the most doubles in a single post season. (Pujols and Freese both hit eight doubles in the 2011 post season.) Zobrist also led the 2015 post season with 15 runs scored.
- The Mets’ Daniel Murphy set an MLB record by hitting a home run in six consecutive post-season games. As the World Series began, Murphy had seven home runs in the 2015 post season, one shy of the single post-season record. Murphy, however, had only three singles in 20 World Series at bats. For more on Murphy, click here.
- The Royals’ Raul A. Mondesi became the first player ever to make his major league debut in the World Series. His father, Raul R. Mondesi played in more than 1,500 major league games and never made it to the World Series. For more on the Mondesi’s, click here.
- The World Champion Royals picked up eight come from behind post-season wins in 2015 – seven after trailing by two or more runs.
Don’t Look Back …
As Satchel Paige once said, “Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.” In the 2015 post season, it was probably the Royals.
- The Royals were late-inning monsters – scoring 40 of their 90 post-season runs from the eighth inning on (and giving up only six runs over those same innings). The remaining nine post-season teams scored a combined 26 runs (out of 314) after the seventh inning. Little wonder KC had a single-post-season record eight bullpen victories. Note: In the World Series, the Royals outscored the Mets 15-1 from the eighth inning on.
Now, here’s a look at the individual 2015 World Series and overall post-season leaders.
2015 World Series Batting Leaders
Batting Average (minimum 10 at bats) – .364 … Salvador Perez, Royals (Record for a five-game World Series – .529, Sean Casey, Tigers, 2006.)
Home Runs – 3 … Curtis Granderson, Mets (Ties record for five-game WS with Don Clendenon, Mets, 1969. Note: The Yankees Lou Gehrig hit four home runs in a four-game WS, 1928.)
RBI – 6 … Eric Hosmer, Royals (Record for a five-game WS – 9 … Danny Murphy, Athletics, 1910.)
Run Scored – 6 … Curtis Granderson, Mets (Ties record for five-game WS … eight other players.)
Base Hits – 8 … Sean Perez, Royals (Record for a five-game WS – 9 … by 11 players.)
Doubles – 4 … Ben Zobrist, Royals (Ties record for a five-game WS … Eddie Collins, Athletics, 1910 and Rick Dempsey, Orioles, 1983.)
Triples – 1 …. Alcides Escobar, Royals (Record for a five-game WS – 2 … Eddie Collins, Athletics, 1913; Bobby Brown, Yankees, 1949; Paul O’Neill, Yankees, 2000. )
World Series’ Pitching Records – Look to Christy Mathewson
Looking to the record book, you won’t find a better World Series’ pitching performance than Christy Mathewson’s mound heroics for the 1905 New York Giants. In that five-game World Series, Mathewson started three games in six days (October 9, 12, 14). Mathewson won all three games – giving him a share of the record – not just for a five-game series, but for a series of any length. He also threw three complete games – and all three were shutouts – as he beat the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0, 9-0 and 2-0. Overall, Mathewson pitched 27 innings – giving up just 13 hits and one walk, while fanning 18. Of course, it should have been no surprise. During the season, Matty had led the NL in wins (31 versus 9 losses), ERA (1.28) and shutouts (8).
2015 World Series Pitching Leaders
ERA (minimum 5 innings) – 0.00 … Kelvin Herrera, Royals (5 IP), Luke Hochevar, Royals (5 IP) (Ties Record for five-game World Series … held by many.)
Wins – 1 … Five players (Record for a five-game World Series – 3 … Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1905; Jack Coombs, Athletics, 1910.)
Strikeouts – 11 … Matt Harvey, Mets (Record for a five-game WS – 18 Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1905. Note: Sandy Koufax struck out 23 in a four-game World Series, Dodgers, 1963.)
Innings Pitched – 14 … Matt Harvey, Mets (Record for a five-game WS – 27 … Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1905; Jack Coombs, Athletics, 1910.)
Complete Games – 1 … Johnny Cueto, Royals (Record for a five-game World Series – 3 … Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1905; Jack Coombs, Athletics, 1910.)
Saves -1 … Wade Davis, Royals (Record for a five-game WS – 2 … by five players. Note: Three relievers have notched three saves in a four-game WS … Mariano Rivera, Yankees, 1998; Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox, 2004; Sergio Romo, Giants, 2012.
For more on World Series all-time leaders, click here.
2015 Overall Post Season Leaders
Batting Average – .527 … Justin Turner, Dodgers
Home Runs – 7 …Daniel Murphy, Mets
RBI – 14 … Eric Hosmer, Royals
Runs Scored – 15 … Ben Zobrist, Royals
Base Hits – 23 … Alcides Escobar, Royals
Stolen Bases – 6 … Lorenzo Cain, Royals
Doubles – 8 … Ben Zobrist, Royals
Triples – 3 … Alcides Escobar, Royals
ERA (minimum 10 innings pitched) – 0.00…. Wade Davis, Royals (10 2/3 innings)
Wins – 3 … Jason deGrom, Mets
Strikeouts – 29 … Jason deGrom, Mets (25 IP)
Saves – 5 … Jeurys Familia, Mets
CG – 1 …Jake Arrieta, Cubs; Johnny Cueto, Royals
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