Oct 22, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher
Salvador Perez(13) hits a two-run double against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning during game two of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Royals came roaring back from their first post-season loss on Tuesday with a 7-2 victory over the Giants in Wednesday’s game 2 at Kauffman Stadium.
The game started badly for the Royals when leadoff man Gregor Blanco slammed a solo home run to stake the Giants to an immediate 1-0 lead. However, unlike on Tuesday, the Royals struck back immediately in the bottom of the first to tie the game on Billy Butler‘s RBI single.
The game stayed tight until the Royals broke open a 2-2 tie with 5 runs in the 6th, highlighted by Salvador Perez‘s 2-RBI double and Omar Infante‘s 2-run home run.
So much for the magic being gone. San Francisco, here we come!
On the Mound
Yordano Ventura made a solid start, lasting 5.1 innings while allowing 8 hits, 0 walks, and 2 earned runs with 2 strikeouts. Ventura left the game in the 6th inning with 1 out and 2 runners on with the score tied 2-2.
Kelvin Herrera entered in the 6th and escaped without any damage, getting a popup and a grounder to short. He also pitched a scoreless 7th, despite allowing 2 consecutive 1-out walks. Overall, Herrera went 1.2 innings, allowing 0 hits, 2 walks, and notching 1 strikeout. Herrera got the win after the Royals broke open the game with 5 runs in the 6th.
Wade Davis entered in the 8th and added another scoreless inning. Davis went 1.0 inning, allowing 0 hits and striking out 2.
Greg Holland finished off the ninth by striking out the side to continue the dominance of Kansas City’s three-headed relief monster.
At the Plate
After Gregor Blanco led off the game with a solo home run, the Royals tied the game in the bottom of the first on Billy Butler‘s RBI single.
Butler salvaged an inning that started with an infield single by Alcides Escobar, a fly out by Aoki, and a caught stealing by Escobar. Lorenzo Cain followed with a double, and Hosmer walked before Butler’s single. The first inning ended with the score tied 1-1.
Kansas City took the lead in the 2nd on doubles by Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar to put the Royals up 2-1.
The Royals put up a crooked inning in the 6th after the Giants had knotted up the game at 2 all. Kansas City blasted the Giants for 5 runs. Cain started off the inning with a single and Hosmer walked to chase Giants starter Jake Peavy. Jean Machi relieved Peavy and gave up an RBI single to Billy Butler. Javier Lopez relieved Machi and got Alex Gordon on a fly ball before giving way to Hunter Strickland.
Salvador Perez then struck a big blow with a double in the left-center gap to score Hosmer and Terrance Gore (pinch running for Butler). Omar Infante then slammed the dagger home with a 2-run shot over the left field wall to give Kansas City a 7-2 lead.
Escobar, Cain, Infante, and Butler all had 2 hits for the Royals, but Perez got the hit that broke open the game.
This and That
The Royals super defense has yet to make an appearance in this World Series. Nori Aoki fell down again in right attempting to field a ball, Lorenzo Cain failed to field Pablo Sandoval‘s double to center despite the ball hitting his glove, and Jarrod Dyson could not come up with a hit to shallow center that ended up bouncing off his chest.
Perhaps it was too much to hope that KC could maintain the ridiculous defensive standard they set in their first 8 games.
Tim Lincecum put in 1.2 impressive innings of work after entering in the 7th, but he left the game in the 8th after summoning the trainer to the mound with an apparent injury. Lincecum looked ready for a higher leverage situation until he was forced to leave the game. which is bad news for the Giants.
After Hunter Strickland gave up a home run to Infante, he started screaming—which caused Salvador Perez to respond after crossing the plate. Multiple Royals came onto the field from the dugout before things cooled off.
The Kansas City Royals notched their 1st World Series win since 1985.
KC Kingdom Player of the Game
Billy Butler gets our player of the game nod for his 2 RBI singles. His first inning single drove in Lorenzo Cain to tie the game at 1-1. In the 6th, Butler’s single broke a 2-2 tie to plate the lead run. On the night, Butler went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s.
The Giants
Gregor Blanco got the game started just the way the Giants wanted with a leadoff home run. For the 2nd straight night, S.F. jumped out to a lead, but they couldn’t maintain their momentum when the Royals tied up the game in the bottom of the 2nd.
Up Next
The Royals and Giants will play game 3 of the World Series in San Francisco on Friday after a travel day on Thursday. Ned Yost will end Jeremy Guthrie to the mound, while Bruce Bochy will counter with Tim Hudson. Game time is 7:07 PM CST at AT&T Park in San Francisco.