The Royals have won more postseason series in the last 13 months, than they did in the entire previous history of the team. Now just need to win one more.
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The best baseball games I've ever seen?
The 2004 ALCS was pretty amazing, especially game 4. Even better than that, was the Cardinals-Rangers Game 6 where the Rangers got to one strike away from winning it all.
Last year, the 2014 AL Wild Card Game. The Royals were down 7-3 in the 8th inning. No team in baseball history had come back from a deficit that big, that late, in the postseason. They managed to get to 7-6 in the eighth. In the bottom on the 9th, a single leads to Dyson pinch running on first. The bunt him over to 2nd. And then he steals 3rd. If he gets thrown out, that's pretty much the ball game. He gets up and does this:
I mean look at that. His team is losing in the bottom of the 9th in an elimination game. But he knows he's going to score. A sacrifice scores him and we go to extras. In the 12th, with two outs, the Royals steal another 2nd base, and Perez pulls one down the line to score the runner. That win almost doesn't happen, but it breaks into sweeps of the next two series and a World Series Game 7.
This year in the ALDS, the Royals found themselves down 6-2 in the 8th. The only team to come back from a deficit that big, that late was the 2014 Royals. But they did it again, winning 9-6, forcing a Game 5 they would also win.
Which brings us to yesterday. So in case you missed it, here's what happened last night in Kansas City.
This game featured two strong pitching performances. In the 2nd, Moustakas hit a home run to make it 2-0. Or did he? A Royals fan leaned over and caught it. After a review, they leave it as a home run, but it could have gone either way.
In the top of the 4th, Bautista homers to make it 2-1.
In the bottom of the 7th, with Moustakas on first, Perez hits a deep fly ball to left. I think it's going to go out. Or at least off the wall for an extra base hit. Somehow, Revere catches it, jumping into a chain link fence and scraping his arm. The relay throw almost catches Moustakas out back at first, but the first baseman drops it. That would prove costly as Moustakas would score from 2nd base later in the inning.
It's the top of the 8th and the Royals are up 3-1. We have a report that rain could start falling in the next 20 minutes. Herrera has already pitched 1 and 2/3. Ned Yost could leave in Herrera, who might be at his limit. He could bring in his best guy, Wade Davis and ask him to get six outs. But with the rain on the way, he could get 3 in the 8th and not be available in the 9th. Or he could bring in Madson and try and get him through the inning Davis can come in after the rain delay. Which is what he does. He allows a single and then gets a strikeout. So things are okay. Except that Bautista is up and the one thing you don't want is to let him tie the game on a home run. And that's what happens. Madson walks one more and here comes Davis. He gets an out but throws a wild pitch and then gets behind in the count 2-0 to Tulowitzki. A hit here gives the Blue Jays the lead. He works to a full count and then strikes him out.
And then we get a rain delay. So it's 3-3. And for 45 minutes the crowd is getting rained on and depressed about losing a 3-1 lead so close to eliminating Toronto. No one knows is Davis will be able to go out in the 9th or be effective if he does. It's a long 45 minutes in Kansas City.
To lead off the bottom of the 8th, it's Lorenzo Cain. He works to a 3-1 count. Fouls one off. Fouls off another. And then takes a pitch. Ball four, take your base. Next batter: Hosmer. On a 2-2 he hits a beauty to deep right. Bautista fields it, spins in the corner and throws it to the cut-off man, who's near 2nd base. Hosmer has to stop and retreat to first base. In my kitchen, I'm jumping up and down, waving my right arm in a big circle, telling Cain to come home. He reads my sign perfectly (as well as the actual 3rd base coach) and rounds 3rd. The cut-off man throws it home. Play at the plate...and Cain scores. From first to home on a single. Royals up 4-3. The inning ends with a Perez double play.
And we go to the 9th. It's been an hour since Wade Davis has last pitched. He takes the mound. And gives up a first pitch single. The Royals are playing bunt, but in doing so, allow the runner to steal second without a throw. Seems like a poor choice as a steal is more damaging than a bunt. And then a few pitches latter, same batter, the runner steals third without a throw. So now even a sac fly ties the game. But Davis walks the 2nd batter and now there's two on. I mean, at this point, who knows if Davis has anything left after the rain delay. If he gives up a 3-run homer here it's bad news bears.
So what does Davis do? Strikes him out for the first out. But the runner on first steals second. So now there's two guys in scoring position with only one out. A sac fly ties the game, a base hit takes the lead.
Revere at the plate. With a 2-1 count, Davis throws one outside but gets the call. Revere can't believe it. On 2-2, he strikes out. Two down. Revere attacks a trash can in the dug out.
Donaldson comes up. Bautista is on deck. With two outs, there's no sacrifices. It's either a hit to take the lead or an out to go home. And here's the pitch. "Left side, Moustakas....Royals win the pennant!"
Back to Back World Series appearances. Holy crap. Here's a list of teams who've done that before. It's a long list, but a good one to be on.
See you Tuesday night.
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