Royals Do It Again; Take 2-0 Series Lead Over Angels

Be still, my beating heart.

They’re not making it easy on those of us having to get up early in the morning to go to work, but they’re getting it done and we all know that’s all that really matters. I don’t know about you but the amount of sleep I’ve been able to grab this week has been minimal and yet I’m beyond happy. This team, Man. This team.

The Royals struck early in the second inning. Eric Hosmer singled and advanced to second on a fielding error by Angels’ right fielder Kole Calhoun. Alex Gordon singled and the Royals were up 1-0. That was the score all the way until the sixth inning when the Angels finally got to Yordano Ventura a bit. Calhoun singled with two outs and Mike Trout then walked. Albert Pujols was able to shoot a ground ball past Omar Infante to score Calhoun before Ventura was able to get Howie Kendrick to ground out to end the inning.

The Angels threatened again in the bottom of the eighth. C.J. Cron doubled off of Wade Davis to lead off the inning and Collin Cowgill came in to pinch-run. Chris Iannetta hit a sharp line drive to left-center field. Jarrod Dyson, who had just come into the game as a defensive substitution, caught the ball on the run and fired a shot to catch Cowgill trying to tag and advance to third. This was a huge double play as it cleared the bases and gave the Royals two outs.

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The score stayed 1-1 through nine innings and the game went into extras which is something we should just begin to accept about Royals postseason baseball at this point. We were finally granted peace in the eleventh inning. Lorenzo Cain had a one-out single and Hosmer followed that up with a shot into the right field seats to give the Royals a 3-1 lead. After Josh Willingham struck out, Alex Gordon walked and then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Iannetta. Salvador Perez singled and the Royals were up 4-1.

I’m giving Greg Holland his own paragraph because he deserves it. He came on and struck out Efren Navarro, got Chris Iannetta to ground out, and struck out Mike Trout to give the Royals a shot to close out the series on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

Yordano Ventura went seven innings and gave up five hits and one earned run with one walk and five strikeouts. He was lights-out.

I am going to the game on Sunday and I am beyond excited. We could be cementing our place in the A.L.C.S. I can’t wrap my mind around this possibility. Let’s hope my heart can handle it!