New York Mets manager Terry Collins blamed himself for his team squandering a late lead for the second time in as many nights Sunday in losing the World Series to Kansas City.
A night after the Royals rallied in the eighth to win with the Mets a handful of outs away from pulling level in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final, the Mets surrendered two tying runs in the ninth inning and five more in the 12th to fall 7-2 and drop the series four games to one.
Collins took the blame for leaving starting pitcher Matt Harvey on the mound into the ninth inning after he kept the Royals scoreless for eight innings and scattered only four hits as the Mets led 2-0.
Lorenzo Cain walked and Eric Hosmer doubled and by the time Collins inserted closing relief ace Jeurys Familia, the Royals had scored one run and were poised to add another, which they did later on an errant toss from first baseman Lucas Duda trying to stop Hosmer from scoring at home plate. (continue reading)