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Royals go up 3-1 after winning Game 4

By Jerry Beach, The Sports Xchange
Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (R) celebrates RBI single with first base coach Rusty Kuntz during the eighth inning against the New York Mets in game 4 of the World Series at Citi Field in New York City on October 31, 2015. The Royals hold a 2-1 series lead over the Mets. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
1 of 2 | Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (R) celebrates RBI single with first base coach Rusty Kuntz during the eighth inning against the New York Mets in game 4 of the World Series at Citi Field in New York City on October 31, 2015. The Royals hold a 2-1 series lead over the Mets. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

NEW YORK -- The words SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK were written on the dry erase board on the wall near the entrance of the Kansas City Royals' clubhouse at Citi Field late Saturday night, a few hours before daylight savings time ends.

One more win and the Royals will set the clock back all the way to 1985. The New York Mets, meanwhile, will need to channel the 1985 Royals in order to save their season.

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Third baseman Mike Moustakas' tiebreaking RBI single highlighted a three-run eighth inning Saturday night that lifted the Royals to a 5-3 win over the Mets in Game 4 of the World Series.

The Royals came back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 to take a three-games-to-one lead in the Series. Kansas City will look to clinch its first championship since 1985 on Sunday, when right-hander Edinson Volquez is scheduled to face Mets right-hander Matt Harvey at Citi Field.

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None of the current Royals, of course, were on the team in 1985, when Kansas City came back from a 3-1 deficit to knock off the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Those Royals were the most recent team to win the World Series after coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.

These Royals know their history, as well as the pitchers -- right-handers Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard -- the Mets can send to the mound if Games 6 or 7 are necessary.

"We've put ourselves in a good spot," Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "But at the same time, they've got a lot of tough arms. They've got a lot of good players over there. We've just got to find a way to get it done one more time."

The Mets carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth thanks to two solo homers by rookie left fielder Michael Conforto and a sacrifice fly by right fielder Curtis Granderson -- and were five outs from evening the Series when the Royals did what they seemingly do all the time: mount a comeback in a deceptively slow fashion.

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Second baseman Ben Zobrist and center fielder Lorenzo Cain each drew one-out walks against Mets right-hander Tyler Clippard. Right-hander Jeurys Familia, New York's closer, entered and induced Hosmer to hit a slow grounder to second.

But the ball went under the glove of Daniel Murphy and dribbled into shallow right field as Zobrist scored the tying run and Cain raced to third.

"It's a team that just looks for a little crack," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "If we find a little crack, they're going to make something happen. It's amazing how they do that."

Moustakas followed with a single to right to score Cain and catcher Salvador Perez singled to right -- his third hit of the game -- to bring home Hosmer with an insurance run.

"We're just trying to put the ball in play against a guy like Familia," Moustakas said. "And 'Hoz' did a good job of putting the ball in play and making some things happen.

"It's just kind of how the ball bounced today. It kind of rolled right for us."

Mets manager Terry Collins said he had no regrets starting the eighth with Clippard, who has a 6.98 ERA in his last 20 appearances dating to Sept. 6.

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"We said before the inning, if the go-ahead run gets on, we're going to go to Familia," Collins said. "I didn't want to burn Jeurys tonight for two innings if I could help it. So it didn't work."

Left fielder Alex Gordon (fifth inning) and Cain (sixth inning) had RBI singles for the Royals, who have won five games this postseason in which they trailed by at least two runs. That ties a record set by the 1996 New York Yankees, who won the World Series.

"I think everyone would feel a lot better if we just stayed tied with that record and came out tomorrow and (got) a nice lead, a nice cushion," Hosmer said with a laugh. "We've been through enough crazy games this postseason."

Five Royals pitchers combined on the six-hitter. Right-hander Chris Young started and gave up two runs, two hits and one walk while striking out three in four innings.

Right-hander Ryan Madson picked up the win with a perfect seventh and right-hander Wade Davis notched his first save of the Series and his fourth of the playoffs by getting the final six outs.

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The Mets mounted a threat in the ninth when Murphy and center fielder Yoenis Cespedes each singled with one out. But first baseman Lucas Duda lined out to Moustakas, who fired to first to double up Cespedes. It was the first game-ending, lineout double play in the World Series since 1965.

Rookie left-hander Steven Matz allowed two runs, seven hits and no walks while striking out five in five innings for the Mets, who will now try to turn back the clocks themselves by becoming just the seventh team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.

"We're in a tough situation, but we're not dead yet," Collins said. "And we've got our three guys that we've turned to."

NOTES: Royals RHP Chris Young is the first pitcher to earn a win in relief and then make a start in the same World Series since Don Larsen did it for the New York Yankees in 1957. ... Royals RHP Edinson Volquez, who traveled home to the Dominican Republic after Game 1 to attend his father's funeral, arrived back in New York during Game 4. ... Mets OF Michael Conforto, 22, became the youngest player to hit two homers in a World Series game since 19-year-old Andruw Jones hit two homers for the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the 1996 Series. ...Mets RHP Jeurys Familia is the first pitcher to blow two saves in a World Series since Royals RHP Ryan Madson did it for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.

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