Postgame
The Royals jumped out on top, but their bullpen was able to hold off a Giants surge, and that’s just what KC do.
— Bunter Felt (@HunterFelt) October 25, 2014That was Peak Koji like from Holland. Absolutely no drama. Can't believe the Royals are two wins away from a championship. @LengelDavid
Believe it. And now they force Bochy’s hand with Bumgarner, who absolutely positively must pitch Game 4 tomorrow night. And early reports indicate that the Giants ace just might come out on the field to pitch whether Bochy says he can or not. Otherwise it’s Ryan Vogelsong v Jason Vargas, but don’t count in it - there’s a reason why when you search “Bumgarner” on twitter that “Saturday” comes up as well.
We’ll back tomorrow for an enormous Game 4, but until then, good morning, good evening and goodnight.
Royals 3-2 Giants, Final
Pence, a sharp comebacker that Holland reaches out and grabs - he throws to first and this ballgame is over! The Royals play textbook Royals baseball on the road in San Francisco top take Game 3!
Updated
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 9th
Pence checks his swing, and he went around. It’s 0-2!
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 9th
It’s a little knubber - easy for Holland who tosses to first for the second out.
It’s down to Pence...
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 9th
He starts him off with a slider on the corner and misses away. Then Posey pops up to left field - Gordon is there to put it away - one down! Now here is Sandoval, batting with a 25-game postseason hitting streak on the line, never mind this game!
Royals 3-2 Giants, top 9th
Casilla needs just three pitches to gets Infante who strikes out looking at a fastball.
We go to the bottom of the ninth - Holland comes in protecting a one-run lead, set to face the heart of the Giants order - Posey, Sandoval and Pence.
Gulp.
Royals 3-2 Giants, top 9th
Hosmer, a bouncer to third - a funny hop that crosses up Sandoval. So he just reaches out with his bare hand and fires in time for the out! Just put that on the list of great defensive plays we’ve seen tonight!
Now Affeldt gets Moustakas to fly out to Pence in right before Bochy comes and gets him.
Santiago Casilla is on his way in to face Omar Infante.
Taylor McLean weighs in on 1-0 v 3-2...
It’s in the numbers, is it not? It’a not just a baseball thing. 0 to 1 requires 100% of what he has and you lack. Big gap. 2 to 3 requires 33.3% of what he has and 50% of what you already have. Smaller gap.
Amazing debate...who knew?
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 8th
So here’s Davis, and much has been made of his conversion to reliever - he gets Arias on what looks like a cut fastball inide that was probably a ball.
One down.
Now Blanco lays down a bunt! Perez bounces out onto the grass and pounces on the ball, picks it up and fires to first - Blanco dives face first (dumb) and is out!
Tremendous play by the sweet smelling Venezuelan! That’s the second out, and the Royals are four ours away from a 2-1 World Series lead.
No, make that three! Panik checks his swing and he went around on a ball in the dirt! Side retired here in the eighth!
Steve Perry, doing his thing at Giants games. Feel free to sing along.
Royals 3-2 Giants, top 8th
So here is Affeldt pitching in the match-up his manager wanted, lefty-on-lefty. It works. Gordon flies harmelssly to left for the second out. Now it’s Cain, a righty.
He grounds towards the middle of the diamond, Arias, who came in on a double-switch, swoops to his left, gobbles it up, fires to first, in time to get Cain by a step.
Side retired. Here comes Wade Davis, the bridge to closer Greg Holland. He’ll face Arias, Blanco and Panik...
Royals 3-2 Giants, top 8th
Romo, as I like to write almost every San Francisco game, looks amazing in a Giants uniform. His black beard, matches high black socks, orange and black accents, with a lean, coat hanger physique - it just works - trust me.
And he looks even better after blowing away Escobar, who has been a tough out tonight, for his third strikeout.
It’s the last batter he sees - Bochy is out to get him, and lefty Jeremy Affeldt is heading in to face lefty Alex Gordon.
Seems reasonable.
Updated
— Paula Halton (@haltonpm) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid What a way to start a career in MLB. #finnegan #WorldSeriesGame3
You ain’t just whistlin’ dixie...
More thoughts on offbeat baseball thoughts...
— allezocoC sirhC (@cokes311) October 25, 2014@HunterFelt @LengelDavid I think it's because in a 1-0 game, you almost always get the sense that one team is struggling to put it together
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 7th
Juan Perez pich-hits for Ishikawa and flies out to left, so a good start for the kid here in a big spot.
Now there is two down with the eight hole up - that’s Brandon Crawford, facing Brandon Finnegan (no relation) with a runner on.
The count is full, and that means Pence will be running with the pitch...here it comes - SWUNG ON AND MISSED! The 21-year-old just got two huge outs here in Game 3 of the World Series!
To be young...
The starters
Tim Hudson:
5.2IP 4H 3R 3ER 1BB 2SO 0HR
Hudson was good tonight, but the line will say otherwise. Gutty after a rough first inning, ultimately keeping the Giants in touch.
Jeremy Guthrie:
5IP 4H 2R 2ER 0BB 0SO 0HR
More than you could have asked for, even if you asked for one more inning....
Updated
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 7th
Herrera, right handed pitcher. Belt, left handed batter.
Pence, leads off first as the KC fireman gets ahead in the count 0-2 before missing outside, and then inside with fastballs. It’s 3-2. Herrera delivers and Belt swings through a pitch low and away - strike three! That’s the first out!
Now a lefty - Travis Ishikawa, and here comes Yost, out to get Herrera. In his place will be Brandon Finnegan, famous for pitching in the World Series earlier this year...the college World Series.
Can’t beat the real thing though - cue the organ.
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 7th
No seventh inning stretch tonight - I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, promise.
Herrera v Pence, we do have and Hunter works himself a leadoff walk. How about that?
That brings up Belt, who has looked good lately - but what can he do with Herrera with the tying run on base?
— Bunter Felt (@HunterFelt) October 25, 2014Weird baseball observations: 3-2 games feel much, much, MUCH closer than 1-0 games. @LengelDavid
Runs create hope of more runs...maybe?
— Bunter Felt (@HunterFelt) October 25, 2014RELIEVER AT-BAT IN THE WORLD SERIES! THIS IS THE BEST I LOVE THIS! @LengelDavid
I knew that you would...couple of decent cuts!
Royals 3-2 Giants, top 7th
So here’s Romo and he makes quick work of Infante, who goes down swinging. Then Perez pops to left for the second out.
Now Dyson keeps this inning alive with a two-out single to to center and you know he’s going to try and swipe second any minute now...
But get this....Herrera is at bat - a reliever is hitting in the World Series, again! You just can’t beat it.
He strikes out, inning over.
Unreal.
Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 6th
Sandoval grounds out to first - he still hasn’t had a hit tonight, and so his 25-game postseason hitting streak is on the line. Meanwhile, two runs in for San Francisco, and Sergio Romo is coming in to pitch...
RUN! Royals 3-2 Giants, bottom 6th
Herrera walks Blanco, before Panik grounds to the Royals reliever who tosses to Hosmer for the first out.
Then San Francisco get a second run on an RBI ground out by Posey - Morse is in, and that’s good baseball by the Giants. It’s a one-run ballgame as Pablo Sandoval comes to the plate!
RUN! Royals 3-1 Giants, bottom 6th
Brandon Crawford singles and Michael Morse, pinch hitting, slams a ball into the left field corner - Gordon has trouble finding it and here comes the Giants shortstop around to score. San Francisco on the board!
That will do it for Guthrie, who got knocked around here by the Giants. Kevin Herrera on his way in ...
Royals 3-0 Giants, top 6th
It’s another lengthy Royals at bat, this time by Moustakas. Eight pitches later he strikes out swinging and that ends the inning, a painful one for San Francisco.
They need to find a way to break through v Guthrie right now or face the terror of the KC bullpen....
...but at some point they’re going to get hit right? Just putting that out there for helpless Giants fans.
RUN! Royals 3-0 Giants, top 6th
So now Hudson sits in a black jacket back in the dugout, curious as all of us to see if Lopez can help San Francisco escape further damage.
It’s a battle vs the Royals first baseman - an 11-pitch war! Such a key at-bat here and Hosmer is the winner! He laces an RBI single up the middle! Gordon scores on Hosmer’s first World Series knock and the Royals are rolling on the road.
Updated
Royals 2-0 Giants, top 6th
Cain grounds out to third and that’s going to keep Gordon at second. Two down and here comes Bochy to get his man. Hudson is history, coming within an out of getting through six innings.
Javier Lopez is on his way in to face Hosmer while it gets extremely quiet in San Francisco.
Cue the organ...
RUN! Royals 2-0 Giants, top 6th
Gordon lifts a drive to center - Blanco has his glove up but he’s not going to get it. It’s a one hopper OFF THE WALL AND ESCOBAR COMES ALL THE WAY AROUND.
It’s an RBI double for Gordon, and in a game like this that is an enormous second run!
Updated
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 6th
Guthrie chops it off the dirt in front of home plate - Infante has it, throws over to first for the first out.
Then some life - Escobar has his second hit of the night - right up the middle.
So Gordon up with one out and one on.
— Bunter Felt (@HunterFelt) October 25, 2014I'm shocked, shocked that interesting things stopped happening in this series when it shifted to a NL park. @LengelDavid
Anti-NL Felt - and that’s an outrage. I’m not doing this now Hunter.
— MJG78 (@Techn0phobe) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid Hudson too.. Is giving up nothing. Giants are hoping for a wild pitch or horrible error on infield play.
It’s only a run, but it feels like a lot more, doesn’t it?
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 5th
Pence lines out to second, and then Belt has a base hit...except he doesn’t really because it’s right into the glove of Infante who is in shallow right field playing the shift.
Two outs.
Did I say two? I meant three. Ishikawa, a bouncer down the first base line - Hosmer flips to Guthrie for the out, and he continues to cruise along here - 67 pitches through five innings.
Breaking news:
Tim Hudson made some fantasy football trades on his iPad today, that according to his wife. And thanks to FOX TV for that one...
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 5th
Infante grounds out to Panda over at third...one down. And now it’s two after sweet smelling Salvado Perez hits a comebacker to Hudson - he throws to first to put away VS for the second out.
That leaves it for Dyson, who breaks his bat as he grounds to Belt at first - he flips to Hudson to get the speedy Dyson who was speeding down the line.
Both hurlers in control...but with the Royals pen an inning away with a slim lead, it’s advantage KC right now.
— MJG78 (@Techn0phobe) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid Hmm. Posey's great ave in the last couple of months does disguise a lack of power/extra bases. We'd settle for either 2nite tho
You would settle for anything right now - Guthrie has SF handcuffed.
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 4th
Panik hits it to right - and get this, an easy, routine play. Cain puts it away.
Then Posey misses out on a double down the left field line buy about a foot. Now he’s in a 1-2 hole here before grounding out to Escobar at short. Two outs now, here is Sandoval...who grounds in the hole at second - Infante, gliding to his right chases it down and fires to first in time to get Sandoval.
It’s not as easy as he made it look folks - we’re getting a defensive show tonight. Meanwhile, that’s eight straight Giants retired by Guthrie.
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 4th
Moustakas grounds out to second and Huddy is on autopilot. Side retired.
Panik, Posey and Sandoval, coming right up for San Francisco....
— MJG78 (@Techn0phobe) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid Nice tongue from Hunter Pence! What a play in right field!
No extra charge for that...
— Paula Halton (@haltonpm) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid Before the game, Bumgarner told teammates,"my pitching tomorrow is not an issue. I am. I will not take no for an answer."
Let’s see it! Although if rain comes into play, which is in the forecast for Saturday, that could change things. You cannot afford to blow your ace on weather....
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 4th
Defense, defense, defense. Now it’s Cain who is robbed, rather than being the robber - Pence runs down a ball in right field, making the catch right near the line for the first out.
Then Hosmer waves at a ball low for strike three.
Pitcher’s dual anyone?
Two down - here’s Moustakas, who had a base hit in his first at bat.
Updated
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 3rd
Blanco lifts a fly ball to center, and Dyson makes a routine catch. Side retired and Guthrie looks in control.
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 3rd
Brice Bochy is speaking with FOX TV live here in the US and he says Tim Lincecum, who left Game 2 with a bad back, is a-ok and available.
In the meantime, Brandon Crawford grounds out to second and Hudson skies to center. Two down as Guthrie begins working the top of the Royals lineup for the second time this evening.
That means Blanco is at the plate...
Meanwhile...
You learn something new every day, and today it’s...
— Marie Kikuchi (@mrekkc) October 8, 2014Ahhhh I'm obsessed with this perfume from Victoria's Secret. Literally I could smell this whole daaaaaay pic.twitter.com/qI9bj9BSBK
...that Marie here isn’t the only one obsessed with Victoria’s Secret perfume - Royals catcher Salvador Perez wears it EVERY SINGLE GAME! Read about it here - this is one tremendous story.
I knew there was a reason I liked that guy.
Updated
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 3rd
Gordon strikes out, and Huddy has officially settled down - KC go in order 1-2-3 at the hands of the veteran hurler.
Updated
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 3rd
Guthrie gets his shot with the bat with predictable results - a grounder to second - Panik flips over to first for the first out.
Here is Escobar who already has his nut - a double and an insane play at short.
More great World Series defense! A ground ball foces Panik to his righ, he’s down on one knee and MAKES BACKHANDED STOP! Panik completes the play to just get Escobar.
This is just really great stuff all around. I like this World Series.
Two down, here is Gordon.
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 2nd
Ishikawa hits a dying swan to right - Cain is running in and MAKES ANOTHER SLIDING CATCH!
Man, that guy is just ridiculous. I don’t think Aoki makes that play, so, so far so good for Yost on those outfield changes.
Side retired.
— MJG78 (@Techn0phobe) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid Love Hunter Pence's hustle. Ok, didn't quite make the steal but he's a guy you want on your team every time.
— Bunter Felt (@HunterFelt) October 25, 2014Man lots of bad Hunter decisions this series. @LengelDavid
Come on, Wenelstedt had a great check swing call in Game 2...
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 2nd
Pence is running - Perez fires to second - Escobar is there, makes a swipe tag, and Pence is OUT, caught stealing
Bruce Bochy does his best Ned Yost impression there, which means Belt will now hit a single.
Belt hits a single...to center, of course. Travis Ishikawa bats with a man on and two outs.
Updated
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 2nd
Patient Pablo Sandoval is at the plate, laying off pitches, being selective, before hitting a drive to center on 3-2 - it’s easy for Dyson and Guthrie has retired the first four batters he’s seen today...
Now Royals nemesis (and everyone else’s) Hunter Pence is up, just like his tall black socks. He grounds to short - look at Alcides - BAREHANDED, AND ON THE RUN, MAKES THE STAB! The throw is high and takes Hosmer off the first base bag, and Pence is on, but WOW!
That was just awesome, and so smooth too.
Here’s Belt with a man on.
— Paula Halton (@haltonpm) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid Saved some runs with that awkward catch. #SFGiants
Someone slipped that ball some drugs or something...crazy!
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 2nd
And there it is - Dyson grounds to Panik at second, who tosses to Crawford at short, who fires to Belt at first! That’s a 4-6-3 double play - two outs, one play!
Hudson is out of jail and into the dugout.
You can exhale now Giants fans...
Updated
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 2nd
So this is a big at-bat here, early in this ballgame. Hudson throws a fastball inside that jams Perez who fouls it off.
So now Huddy is ahead 1-2 - and then Perez lines one to left and that ball is on a wild ride!
Wow! - Ishikawa dives to his right to somehow get to that ball that had something on it, spin, an engine, something, and that’s a huge out in this inning. Now Hudson can get out of here with a ground ball and some help from his best friend...
Updated
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 2nd
Huddy loses Infante and now the veteran is in a wee bit of a situation. Two on, no out. Posey come out to have a chat with his pitcher. They’re probably talking about the latest Homeland....
Perez is next - let’s see if he can get through a play without talking to the pitcher.
— Paula Halton (@haltonpm) October 25, 2014@LengelDavid Very patient at bat by Moose pays off. #WorldSeriesGame3 #KCRoyals
He must like it up at five instead of the usual ninth....that’s an upgrade!
Royals 1-0 Giants, top 2nd
Back come the Royals, with Moustakas batting in his new fifth slot. He’s beind 1-2 before evening the count and beating the lefty infield shift with a knock to left center field. That’s the second straight inning the Royals lead off with a hit.
Omar Infante, who had a big home run in Game 2, comes to the plate. Hudson is pitching behind in the count again, Infante is ahead 2-0...
Royals 1-0 Giants, bottom 1st
So here’s Guthrie, and who knows what we’re going to get from the Royals righty.
How about a 1-2-3 to start...Blanco pops to center, Panik grounds to second and Posey flies to Cain, who turned on the jets and sliding to make the catch, ending the inning.
Strong start for KC on the road in a tough environment.
RUN! Royals 1-0 Giants, top 1st
Alcides Escobar starts it off with a whack to left field - that was just a few feet from getting out of here, and the Royals shortstop crusies into second with a leadoff double nice an easy, like its a Sunday afternoon in August.
Escobar moves over to third on a ground out to first by Alex Gordon, and then, with the Giants infield back, Cain grounds out to third, allowing the runner to come home.
That is manufacturing a run, NL style.
Hosmer grounds out to end the inning but the Royals are on top early!
National Anthem
Little Big Town. Country music. Three time Grammy winners, apparently. Not my thing. 5/10.
Resins man is also not impressed:
C&W Abba? Fussy 4/10
Updated
And here they are, your San Francisco Giants!!
- Gregor Blanco, CF
- Joe Panik, 2B
- Buster Posey, C
- Pablo Sandoval, 3B
- Hunter Pence, RF
- Brandon Belt, 1B
- Travis Ishikawa, LF
- Brandon Crawford, SS
- Tim Hudson, RHP
Business as usual here from Giants manager Bruce Bochy, with the exception being no Michael Morse in the lineup with the DH position nonexistent. There’s a lot of talk about not having Billy Butler in the lineup will hurt KC, but Morse has an intimidating bat, and certainly his absence should have some sort of impact in the way Guthrie attacks.
Kansas City Royals
- Alcides Escobar, SS
- Alex Gordon, LF
- Lorenzo Cain, RF
- Eric Hosmer, 1B
- Mike Moustakas, 3B
- Omar Infante, 2B
- Salvador Perez, C
- Jarrod Dyson, CF
- Jeremy Guthrie, RHP
Well, apart from there being no Billy Butler, because there is no DH, we have a lot of change here. Nori Aoki is out in right field, with Lorenzo Cain slotting into that position and Jarrod Dyson playing center field, giving them one of the most dynamic, speedy outfields we’ve seen in some time - sensible considering the acreage out there and all those nooks and crannies. Also, Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas move up in the lineup. So we’ll have to see how this all works out...
Updated
So it’s the first 2014 World Series game at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and that means no DH, and that the kayaks (and other assorted small vessels) are coming.
— Samantha Anderson (@KWCHSamantha) October 24, 2014Things are starting to get rowdy out here #royals #giants #worldseries pic.twitter.com/H0OANp6ZKz
Meanwhile, back in Kansas City....
— Jeremy Shipman (@jshipman72) October 24, 2014My neighbor doing Okctober yard work! Go #Royals #WorldSeries #TakeTheCrown pic.twitter.com/LX460iAziB
And finally, over in Afghanistan...
— Jill Puccetti (@BellaLolaGirl) October 24, 2014God Bless🇺🇸 MT @Royals: TY 2 these service members,who added #Royals 2 their plane as they head home from Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/KJevUFPQe8
Thanks to the KC Star on this one.
Joe Maddon
In case you haven’t heard, Rays manager Joe Maddon quit today, and that is some mighty big news down in Tampa-St. Pete and everywhere else really. Where’s he going? Well, that’s the $25m question according to the New York Post.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) October 24, 2014Heard Maddon seeking 5-yr, $25M range #Mets never going there for $ reasons. Also not sure Alderson believes mgrs should earn at that level
Shame on him for doing it during the World Series...didn’t he learn anything from A-Rod?
A fun little Royals video to get us going...nice work.
Anybody got one for this guy?
Preamble
The Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants traded barbs in Games 1 & 2, and now the series shifts west to the Bay Area for a high stakes encounter in what has become a best-of-five World Series.
After the Giants trounced the Royals in the first match-up, doubts creeped in on KC - was the eight game playoff winning streak a fluke? Was this the end of the run? The Royals regrouped, got their game together, and ran the Giants so ragged that their pitchers were talking to themselves on the mound - never ever a good sign.
Now it’s the Giants fans turn to let their minds wander. What if ace Madison Bumgarner is the only San Francisco hurler capable of handcuffing the pesky Royals? Should he come back on short rest for Game 4 on Saturday?
Well, those are good questions, if not a bit cart before horse, because the Giants have a capable, determined veteran on the mound tonight, pitching in the most important game of his career.
Over fifteen years after his debut, and some 458 regular season games later, Tim Hudson finally made it to the top of the mountain, and is getting set to make his World Series debut in what is obviously the biggest game of his life.
The same can be said of course about Jeremy Guthrie, whose less distinguished career was revitalized after a 2012 trade from the thin air of Colorado to Kansas City, where the outfield is also roomy, but with significantly denser air.
Hurlers from both sides will be feel good about working at AT&T Park, which like Kauffman Stadium, skews towards pitchers. There’s one caveat however - as we saw in the NLCS, the winds have been blowing off the Bay, so outfielders may be in for a bit of an adventure.
We have Game 3 of the 2014 World Series coming right up at 8:07 EST and 1:07 over in the UK - before then we’ll mix in lineups with a bit of this and that - and some of that can be you. Join our blog by tweeting to:
or write:
david.lengel.freelance@theguardian.com
Please stand by for World Series baseball!
