NEW YORK
In the span of 3 seconds — a spinning, indecisive, manic 3 seconds — reliever Franklin Morales let Game 3 of this World Series slip through his unsure fingers.
The end result was a fielding gaffe that would blow open the game in the bottom of the sixth, the death-knell sequence in the Royals’ 9-3 loss to the Mets at Citi Field on Friday night. The lapse would define a night of shaky defense from the Royals’ hurlers.
Here was the scene: In the bottom of the sixth inning, with the Royals still within striking distance, Morales worked with runners at the corners, coaxing a comebacker from Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson.