Jeremy Guthrie dominates as the Royals make the playoffs

It had to be Jeremy Guthrie. The pitcher that plays to the moment, keeping the Royals within a run virtually every time out. The pitcher who, in some way, may be the personification of the Kansas City Royals themselves – a player that may just be better than everyone thinks. Fittingly, it was Guthrie who took the mound tonight, dominating the Chicago White Sox as the Royals punched their postseason ticket with a 3-1 victory.

The Royals made sure to make it as easy as possible for Guthrie in the first. Alcides Escobar led off the game with a base hit, and scored on Nori Aoki‘s RBI triple. Two pitches later, Lorenzo Cain singled to center, plating Aoki and giving the Royals a 2-0 lead after six pitches. After Cain stole second, Billy Butler came through with an RBI single of his own to give the Royals a 3-0 lead.

That would be all that Jeremy Guthrie would need. He cruised through the White Sox lineup, not allowing a single runner past second during his masterful performance. The White Sox seemed thoroughly unable to make solid contact against his assortment of pitches, as Guthrie did a great job of hitting his spots and keeping the White Sox off balance.