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Out of the Blue
The Kansas City Royals' Historic 2014 Season
By Joe Funk Triumph Books
Copyright © 2014 Triumph Books LLC
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63319-234-8
CHAPTER 1
The World Series
World Series: Game 1 | October 21, 2014
Giants 7, Royals 1
A Giant Ace
Bumgarner Outduels Shields, Pence Launches First-Inning Homer
His nickname is "Big Game James," which would imply that he does well in big games. After his performance throughout the 2014 postseason, Royals fans are left wondering if James Shields' nickname just implies that he pitches in his teams' biggest games.
Heading into the World Series, Shields was 1–0 in three postseason starts for the Royals in 2014 with a 5.64 ERA. In those three starts, his longest outing was six innings against the Angels. The other two games were five innings apiece against Oakland and Baltimore. Before Game 1 of the World Series, Shields downplayed the numbers and revealed that he passed a kidney stone during the ALCS. Royals manager Ned Yost gave Shields a vote of confidence, pointing out how much Shields wanted to put his AL playoff games behind him.
Someone forgot to alert the San Francisco Giants, who spoiled the feel-good story of the Royals and snapped Kansas City's 11-game postseason winning streak (dating back to 1985) on the opening night of the World Series at Kauffman Stadium.
Shields struggled through the first inning Tuesday night with both the San Francisco batters and his own control. It looked as if this might not be Kansas City's night when the very first batter, Gregor Blanco, dropped a hit in front of center fielder Lorenzo Cain. With the way the baseball gods were working throughout the American League playoffs, that ball would've carried a few feet more or stayed in the air a few moments longer so Cain could make a diving catch. Instead, the ball dropped in, and three batters later, Pablo Sandoval roped a double that scored Blanco. The big blow of the inning was a 421-foot, two-run homer on a 3–2 pitch by Hunter Pence to center. Shields had the count even at 2–2, which brought the Kauffman Stadium crowd to its feet, but three pitches later, Pence gave the Giants a 3–0 lead. San Francisco got half of its total 10 hits in the 33-pitch first inning. Although he didn't walk any in the first, trying to perfectly place pitches against the free-swinging Giants, Shields threw a first-pitch strike to only two of the seven batters he faced in the top of the first.
"He's down 3–0, and then from that point — it was okay in the second and third but was laboring at times with the secondary stuff," Yost said. "Normally when he's really, really good, he's spotting his fastball well, and his change-up is dynamite, and he was really struggling to command his change-up tonight."
As has been the case throughout his three previous starts, Shields didn't look comfortable. Even in the second and third innings, when Shields retired San Francisco in order, the Giants struck the ball hard. Shields was taken out in the fourth inning after not retiring the first three batters he faced. He allowed five runs and seven hits.
Danny Duffy, making his first appearance since October 2 during the ALDS against Anaheim, relieved Shields and gave up one hit and two runs during his three innings.
By the time the Royals came up to hit in the bottom of the fourth, after Duffy's first inning, the Giants had given their postseason ace, Madison Bumgarner, a five-run cushion. That was more than enough. Bumgarner allowed only three hits and one run in seven innings. The lone run came on a homer in the seventh by Salvador Perez. That was the first run Bumgarner had given up in 21 consecutive World Series innings. That streak to start a World Series career is second only to Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson, who went 28 scoreless innings. Perhaps as impressive, Perez's home run ended Bumgarner's postseason road scoreless streak at 32-2/3 innings.
Kansas City squandered a prime opportunity to end Bumgarner's streaks and perhaps change the complexion of the game much earlier. With the score 3–0, Omar Infante led off the third for Kansas City by reaching on an error by shortstop Brandon Crawford. Mike Moustakas then doubled to the right-field corner. Pence played the carom perfectly, which forced Infante to hold at third. The top two batters in the Royals lineup, Alcides Escobar and Nori Aoki, both struck out swinging. After Lorenzo Cain drew a walk, Eric Hosmer grounded out to second, ending the inning. Although Kansas City got only four hits in the game, the top four batters in the lineup went a combined 1-for-14. After the Royals failed to score in the bottom of the third, the Giants added two runs in the top of the fourth.
"Bumgarner, he was dynamite," Yost said. "We had an opportunity in the third, and I was really impressed with the way he fed off our aggressiveness and just worked up the ladder to get out of that jam. He was nails tonight."
Bumgarner is now 3–1 with a 1.40 ERA in 38-2/3 innings this postseason. He's gone at least seven innings in all five outings, and the only time he's allowed more than five hits was on October 6 when the Washington Nationals got six hits and beat him in the ALDS.
Shields is now 1–1 with a 7.11 ERA in the 2014 postseason. In 19 innings he's given up 28 hits and 15 runs. Opponents against Shields are batting .337, which is highest among all Kansas City pitchers in the postseason. Still, after Game 1, Yost was quick to say that Shields is the Game 5 starter in San Francisco.
"He's very competitive, and he's a guy that when his stuff is right, he's dominant," Yost said. "He's like what you saw off Bumgarner tonight, that's James Shields. I've been in this game a long time and I've seen guys struggle two and three and four times and all of a sudden come out and throw a fantastic game.
"But you have to know James Shields. You have to know that he's a tremendous competitor. He has the ability to make adjustments. Right now he just hasn't been as sharp as he has been. But with the extra rest and then coming back five days from now, we think will benefit him."
World Series: Game 2 | October 22, 2014
Royals 7, Giants 2
All Tied Up
Tensions Rise As Butler, Infante Help Even Series at 1–1
The chant started raining down from the Kauffman Stadium crowd of 40,446: "Billy Butler!" Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap "Billy Butler!" Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap "Billy Butler!"
Finally, at the, um, encouragement of others in the dugout, Butler went up a couple steps and tipped his cap.
"They were egging me on [in the dugout], but I definitely heard the crowd was yelling my name," said Butler, who had two key hits in the Royals' 7–2 win against the Giants in Game 2 of the World Series. "They told me to get out there and do it. It was one of those things where your teammates tell you to do it — you're going to get out there. And the fans received me well. It was an exciting time."
Usually a curtain call is reserved for a big home run late in the game or an outstanding pitching performance. Butler's tip of the cap came in the sixth inning — after a base hit. Well, maybe a little more important than just a base hit. With the game tied at 2–2, San Francisco starting pitcher Jake Peavy gave up a hit to Lorenzo Cain and then walked Eric Hosmer. As Butler, who has hit Peavy well throughout his career, waited on deck, Giants manager Bruce Bochy went to his bullpen and brought in Jean Machi. Butler greeted him with the RBI single that scored Cain and gave the Royals a 3–2 lead. Royals manager Ned Yost sent in Terrance Gore to run for Butler. And the chanting began.
If Butler hadn't been pulled from the game, he probably would've scored anyway. Two batters later Salvador Perez belted a double that scored Hosmer and Gore. Omar Infante, who was one of four regular starters without a home run this postseason, increased Kansas City's lead with a two-run homer into the Royals bullpen off Hunter Strickland. (Butler, Cain, and Nori Aoki have yet to hit a home run during the postseason.) The home run set off fireworks atop the crown scoreboard followed by some mini-fireworks at home plate as a frustrated Strickland started jawing with Perez. Players from both teams came out of their dugouts.
"I don't know what happened with that guy," Perez said. "We don't want to fight on the field. I'm not that kind of person, that kind of player. I just like to play hard, enjoy the game, and try to get a W for my team."
Perez and his mates were on their way to doing that. By the time they were finished in the sixth, the Giants used five pitchers in the inning, and the Royals scored five runs and took a 7–2 lead. That was the first time a team has used five pitchers in an inning of a World Series game since Whitey Herzog and St. Louis did it in Game 7 of the 1985 series against the Royals. The five runs scored by the Royals in the inning were the most they've scored in a single inning — and more than they'd scored in five games — this postseason.
"We felt like with our big sixth inning there we took a little momentum out of how they were playing," said Butler, whose contract is up at the end of this season. "They were playing really well and they continue to play well. But we showed them that we have fight in us, and I think they knew that already. But we stepped up big there as a team, and that gave us some confidence in that clubhouse."
For a brief moment early in the game, the team's confidence and certainly that of the Kauffman Stadium crowd, was shaken when Gregor Blanco led off the game with a home run to the right-field bullpen off Kansas City starter Yordano Ventura, who had thrown eight pitches to Blanco, all fastballs.
"A lot of times with all pitchers for me, the first inning is kind of a time when you go out, get your rhythm, get your timing, get yourself settled into the ballgame," Yost said. "Blanco fouled off a couple of really good pitches and then centered one up. That was one of those things where, as a manager, that doesn't really bother you. Just hold the fort from that point on, get your rhythm going, get yourself established, and then from the second inning roll. And that's exactly what he did."
Ventura gave up only one more run in the game, when the Giants scored in the fourth. Pablo Sandoval led off the inning with a double to the wall in dead center on a ball that glanced off the side of Cain's glove. After Hunter Pence grounded out, Brandon Belt doubled to right, scoring Sandoval and making it a 2–2 game. Just when it looked as if the Giants might be in the midst of a big inning, it ended abruptly when Michael Morse flew out to Aoki in right. Belt strayed too far off second base on Aoki's high throw that Ventura picked up and threw out Belt at second.
The Royals got on the board in the bottom of the first inning with two outs when Cain doubled to left-center. Hosmer walked on four pitches, giving the Royals two runners on base for only the second time in the first two games of the series. Butler knocked his first hit of the game, this one to left that scored Cain from second and tied the game at 1–1. It was the Royals' first hit with runners in scoring position since Game 2 of the ALCS.
With the two hits, Butler's boosted his average to .273 in the postseason with seven RBIs.
"He is such a force in our lineup and he has been for years," said Yost. "He's a guy that is tremendously intelligent when it comes to hitting. He knows the opposing pitchers as well as anybody and he's got a great eye at the plate. Anytime Billy gets up in those situations, I feel great. I feel like he's going to get the job done, and again he did it. He came up big for us twice tonight."
World Series: Game 3 | October 24, 2014
Royals 3, Giants 2
A Pitchers' Duel
Veteran Guthrie, Royals Bullpen Thwart S.F. Giants
Jeremy Guthrie had pitched in 275 regular-season games and one postseason contest during his 11-year major league career. Tim Hudson had pitched in 458 regular-season games and 12 postseason games during a 16-year career. Neither had made a World Series appearance. That changed for both in the best pitching duel the Royals have had during this postseason.
But it'll be the 35-year-old Guthrie who'll never forget the night of October 24, 2014 — the night he pitched one of the best games of his career and helped the Royals take a two games to one lead over San Francisco as the Royals beat the Giants 3–2 at AT&T Park.
"Happiness, excitement, gratitude — I think those describe it as best I can," Guthrie said. "It's something to have this chance. This opportunity is a tremendous blessing. To see a number of guys play a long time and don't get a chance to do this. So I'm very, very grateful for what the other 24 guys have done to put us in this position and what the other eight guys did tonight, plus the bullpen to help us win this one."
Guthrie gave up two runs and four hits over five innings. He didn't allow any walks or strike out any. Hudson, 39, went 5-2/3 innings, giving up three runs and four hits. He struck out two and walked one. Guthrie retired 10 in a row from the last out in the second until Brandon Crawford opened the sixth with a base hit. Hudson retired 11 in a row from the last out in the second until Alcides Escobar singled with one out in the sixth. During one stretch the two pitchers combined for 20 consecutive outs.
"[Hudson] had great stuff and was keeping the ball down, good movement on his pitches. I thought he did a really nice job. He gave us what we were hoping and a chance to win, and that's all you can ask for from your starters," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "But you look at their pitching, and they did a great job; they shut us down. We couldn't do too much off of Guthrie. He pitched great, and their bullpen did a good job. But as far as Huddy, I thought he got better and better as the game went."
The Royals employed the approach that's worked throughout this postseason: strong starting pitching, a shutdown bullpen, great defense, and timely hits.
The hits started early as Hudson left the first pitch of the game — a fastball, up — to Escobar, who jumped on it and launched it off the base of the left-field wall for a double. Alex Gordon, whom manager Ned Yost moved to the No. 2 spot in the lineup as he shifted things for the National League park, grounded the ball to first and allowed Escobar to advance to third. Escobar then scored on a groundout to short by Lorenzo Cain, giving Kansas City an early 1–0 lead.
The Royals extended their lead in the top of the sixth. Escobar got his second hit of the night — the only Royals player with more than one — and broke Hudson's streak of 11 in a row. Gordon then lifted a double to center field over the head of Gregor Blanco and scored Escobar. That was Gordon's first World Series hit.
"It took a while, but it felt good," Gordon said. "With Esky getting on base, just trying to get a good pitch to hit, knowing if I hit it in the gap — with Esky's speed — he's more than likely to score. So it was a good at bat by Esky, and he got things rolling."
Two batters later after Cain grounded out and the Giants went with reliever Javier Lopez, Eric Hosmer battled through 11 pitches before lining one to center that scored Gordon and gave the Royals a 3–0 lead.
"That was a huge hit to finally break through and get the third run," Yost said. "It was a game-winning run right there. But I think it's more a testament to his tenacity in that situation, where he was not going to give in, and he was going to give his club the best at-bat that he possibly could. He kept fighting off pitches, kept fighting off pitches. He didn't get long. He didn't get strong. He was just trying to stay short up the middle, and finally got a pitch that he could do exactly that with."
The Giants made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth when Michael Morse grounded a double past a diving Mike Moustakas and into the left-field corner, scoring Brandon Crawford, who led off the inning with a hit. Yost decided to bring in Kelvin Herrera an inning earlier than usual. Herrera immediately walked Blanco on four pitches. Joe Panik moved the runners to second and third with a high chopper to Herrera for the first out. Buster Posey cut the Royals' advantage to one run with a groundout to Omar Infante that scored Morse. With Blanco at third, Herrera escaped by inducing a groundout by Pablo Sandoval.
Herrera walked Hunter Pence to lead off the seventh inning and then struck out Brandon Belt before Yost went to the bullpen and brought in young Brandon Finnegan, who, remarkably, was pitching in the MLB World Series after pitching in the College World Series for TCU earlier this year. The Royals got back on track when Yost, with a 3–2 lead, brought in Wade Davis for the eighth and Greg Holland for the ninth.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Out of the Blue by Joe Funk. Copyright © 2014 Triumph Books LLC. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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