Final/10
Royals edge O's with more extra-inning magic
Oct 11, 2014 - 5:48 AM Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - The small-ball Royals flexed their muscles in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.Naturally, it came in extra innings.
Alex Gordon crushed a leadoff homer in the 10th and Mike Moustakas added the deciding two-run blast as Kansas City pulled out an 8-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles on a rainy Friday at Camden Yards.
The Royals reached their first ALCS in 29 years thanks to three extra-inning wins, one against the Athletics in the wild-card game and two in their sweep of the MLB-best Angels.
Their fourth set an MLB record for a single postseason.
"We just find ways to win ballgames," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "These guys will find a way to get it done."
Gordon broke a 5-5 tie when he turned on a Darren O'Day fastball and sent a screaming line drive into the right-field seats for his first career postseason home run.
Brian Matusz relieved O'Day and served up Moustakas' third round-tripper of the postseason, which proved vital after Greg Holland gave up a run in Baltimore's last at-bat.
Delmon Young hit a pinch-hit, RBI single with two outs, and with runners on first and second, Nick Markakis represented the winning run at the plate.
Holland, though, got Markakis to roll over on a pitch and send a grounder to second, escaping with his third save of these playoffs.
O'Day (0-1) turned from hero to goat after working out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, and the Orioles will look to rebound Saturday in Game 2.
The Royals will send rookie Yordano Ventura to the mound for a quick turnaround at 4:07 p.m. (et), while Baltimore counters with Bud Norris.
Known for manufacturing runs during the regular season, the Royals went deep three times in the opener, as Alcides Escobar broke a scoreless tie and ignited a big third inning with a solo shot off Chris Tillman.
Gordon, whose three-run double fueled the Royals' closeout win against the Angels on Sunday, stepped in with the bases loaded and cleared the bags again with a broken-bat blooper that fell just inside the right-field foul line.
Markakis led off the bottom of the third with a double and scored on Adam Jones' base hit to pull Baltimore within 4-1, but the Royals got the run back on Billy Butler's sacrifice fly in the fifth.
James Shields was unable to maintain the lead.
The Royals starter gave up consecutive singles to open the fifth and allowed a run on Nelson Cruz's double off the left-field wall. After J.J. Hardy struck out with the bases loaded, Ryan Flaherty laced a double down the right-field line to plate two more.
"I was proud with the way our guys battled back, especially with Shields out there," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
Rookie Brandon Finnegan relieved Shields in the sixth and yielded the tying run. Jonathan Schoop worked a leadoff walk and moved to second on Markakis' base hit. Catcher Salvador Perez threw behind Schoop and had him picked off, but Escobar's throw to third hit Schoop in the back, leaving runners on second and third.
Alejandro De Aza then fisted a blooper into no man's land behind the mound, and Schoop scored without a play at the plate.
The Royals ran themselves out of a run in the seventh when Jarrod Dyson's foot came off the bag trying to steal second base. He was called out, and Eric Hosmer followed with a single that would have easily plated a run.
Kansas City wasted another scoring chance in the ninth after Zach Britton walked the bases loaded. Hosmer hit a chopper to first, and Nick Hundley made a nice backhanded stop of Steve Peace's one-hop throw to the plate to get a force out.
O'Day took Britton out of his misery and kept it 5-5 by inducing a double-play ball off the bat of Butler.
Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis (1-0) both tossed two flawless innings out of Kansas City's bullpen. Davis struck out the side in the ninth on 11 pitches to collect the win.
Game Notes
The Royals have won eight straight postseason games ... Gordon's home run was his first since Sept. 3 ... Kansas City's 95 home runs in the regular season were the fewest in the majors ... Shields allowed four runs on 10 hits over five innings ... Tillman was charged with five runs over 4 1/3 innings ... Baltimore had 14 hits to Kansas City's 12 ... This is the first time Baltimore and Kansas City have met in the postseason ... The Royals are looking for their first World Series appearance since 1985, which came two years after the Orioles' last showing in the Fall Classic ... Game time: 4:37.
- KANSAS CITY: 8
BALTIMORE: 6
Final/10
Oct 11 12:49 AM - Pinch-Hitter Delmon Young singled to center scored Ryan Flaherty with two outs. On the play, Jimmy Paredes advances to second. Runners on first and second and Nick Markakis due up.
Royals 8, Orioles 6 Bot 10, 2 OutsOct 11 12:47 AM - Delmon Young singles to center field. Jimmy Paredes to second. Ryan Flaherty scores.
Royals 8, Orioles 6 Bot 10, 2 OutsOct 11 12:46 AM - Mike Moustakas one-out, two-run Home Run (3) to right center scored Salvador Perez. Alcides Escobar due up.
Royals 8, Orioles 5 Top 10, 1 OutOct 11 12:31 AM - Mike Moustakas homers to center field. Salvador Perez scores.
Royals 8, Orioles 5 Top 10, 1 OutOct 11 12:30 AM - Alex Gordon lead-off Home Run (1) to right. Salvador Perez due up.
Royals 6, Orioles 5 Top 10, 0 OutsOct 11 12:20 AM - Alejandro De Aza single to short scored Jonathan Schoop with none out. Runners on first and second and Adam Jones due up.
Royals 5, Orioles 5 Bot 6, 0 OutsOct 10 10:45 PM - Alejandro De Aza singles to shallow infield. Jonathan Schoop scores.
Royals 5, Orioles 5 Bot 6, 0 OutsOct 10 10:43 PM - Ryan Flaherty single to right scored Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz with two out. On the play, Steve Pearce advanced to third. Runners on first and third and Nick Hundley due up.
Royals 5, Orioles 4 Bot 5, 2 OutsOct 10 10:21 PM - Ryan Flaherty singles to right field. Steve Pearce to third. Nelson Cruz scores. Adam Jones scores.
Royals 5, Orioles 4 Bot 5, 2 OutsOct 10 10:20 PM - Nelson Cruz double to left scored Alejandro De Aza with one out. On the play, Adam Jones advanced to third. Runners on second and third and Steve Pearce due up.
Royals 5, Orioles 2 Bot 5, 1 OutOct 10 10:11 PM - Nelson Cruz doubles to deep left field. Adam Jones to third. Alejandro De Aza scores.
Royals 5, Orioles 2 Bot 5, 1 OutOct 10 10:10 PM - Billy Butler sacrifice fly out to center scored Lorenzo Cain with two out. None on and Alex Gordon due up.
Royals 5, Orioles 1 Top 5, 2 OutsOct 10 9:59 PM - Billy Butler out on a sacrifice fly to deep right center field to Adam Jones. Lorenzo Cain scores.
Royals 5, Orioles 1 Top 5, 1 OutOct 10 9:58 PM - Adam Jones single to left scored Nick Markakis with one out. Runner on first and Nelson Cruz due up.
Royals 4, Orioles 1 Bot 3, 1 OutOct 10 9:23 PM - Adam Jones singles to left field. Nick Markakis scores.
Royals 4, Orioles 1 Bot 3, 1 OutOct 10 9:22 PM - Alex Gordon double to right scored Norichika Aoki, Lorenzo Cain and Billy Butler with two out. On the play Alex Gordon advanced to third on Jonathan Schoop's missed catch error. Runner on third and Salvador Perez due up.
Royals 4, Orioles 0 Top 3, 2 OutsOct 10 9:16 PM - Alex Gordon doubles to right field, advances to 3rd. Billy Butler scores. Lorenzo Cain scores. Norichika Aoki scores. Fielding error by Jonathan Schoop.
Royals 4, Orioles 0 Top 3, 2 OutsOct 10 9:15 PM - Alcides Escobar one-out, solo Home Run (1) to left. Norichika Aoki due up.
Royals 1, Orioles 0 Top 3, 1 OutOct 10 9:00 PM - Alcides Escobar lines out to center field to Adam Jones.
Oct 10 8:12 PM - KANSAS CITY: 0
BALTIMORE: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Oct 10 8:11 PM
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