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KANSAS CITY ( GUTHRIE )
SAN FRANCISCO ( HUDSON ) |
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| World Series - Best of 7 - Game 3 - Series tied 1-1 | |  | |
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| 905 | KANSAS CITY | +115 | Ov 7,-105 | +115 | Ov 7,+100 | | 906 | SAN FRANCISCO | -125 | Un 7,-115 | -125 | Un 7,-120 |
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| All Games | 98-74 | +12.6 | 79-85 | 4.1 | 0.262 | 0.310 | 3.8 | 0.249 | 0.305 | | Road Games | 51-34 | +19.1 | 38-41 | 4.4 | 0.269 | 0.316 | 3.5 | 0.236 | 0.296 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 71-52 | +9.4 | 57-60 | 4.1 | 0.260 | 0.307 | 3.7 | 0.247 | 0.304 | | Past 7 Games | 6-1 | +5.2 | 5-2 | 4.9 | 0.265 | 0.333 | 3.4 | 0.234 | 0.300 | | Grass Games | 94-71 | +11.1 | 76-82 | 4.1 | 0.261 | 0.310 | 3.8 | 0.248 | 0.304 | | Night Games | 71-49 | +13.9 | 54-59 | 4.2 | 0.263 | 0.310 | 3.7 | 0.245 | 0.302 | | Interleague | 16-6 | +9.4 | 10-11 | 4.9 | 0.266 | 0.316 | 3.0 | 0.231 | 0.277 | | Playoff games | 9-1 | +9.4 | 6-4 | 5.0 | 0.253 | 0.318 | 3.5 | 0.221 | 0.291 |
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| All Games | 4.1 | 0.262 | 0.310 | 172 | 5889 | 1543 | 435 | 105 | 0.02 | 653 | 413 | 1058 | 166 | 1141 | 162 | 108 | | | | Road Games | 4.4 | 0.269 | 0.316 | 85 | 3037 | 816 | 227 | 58 | 0.02 | 347 | 210 | 556 | 70 | 599 | 91 | 55 | | | | Righty Starters | 4.1 | 0.260 | 0.307 | 123 | 4215 | 1094 | 311 | 71 | 0.02 | 465 | 289 | 754 | 119 | 812 | 104 | 70 | | |
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| All Games | 3.17 | 1.223 | 508.6 | 197 | 179 | 432 | 33 | 190 | 494 | 35-18 | 59 | 12 | 83.1% | | Road Games | 2.36 | 1.121 | 240 | 75 | 63 | 182 | 13 | 87 | 221 | 14-10 | 29 | 6 | 82.9% |
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| All Games | 97-77 | +16 | 83-81 | 4.1 | 0.254 | 0.309 | 3.7 | 0.238 | 0.289 | | Home Games | 49-37 | +2.9 | 41-41 | 4.0 | 0.257 | 0.312 | 3.5 | 0.230 | 0.282 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 66-47 | +16 | 62-45 | 4.3 | 0.257 | 0.311 | 3.8 | 0.236 | 0.289 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +3.1 | 6-1 | 4.7 | 0.257 | 0.333 | 3.4 | 0.231 | 0.282 | | Grass Games | 97-77 | +16 | 83-81 | 4.1 | 0.254 | 0.309 | 3.7 | 0.238 | 0.289 | | Night Games | 57-50 | +3.6 | 48-57 | 3.8 | 0.252 | 0.304 | 3.7 | 0.234 | 0.283 | | Interleague | 11-11 | +0.6 | 12-8 | 3.8 | 0.248 | 0.295 | 3.8 | 0.237 | 0.283 | | Playoff games | 9-3 | +7.8 | 7-5 | 4.1 | 0.247 | 0.317 | 2.7 | 0.197 | 0.249 |
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| All Games | 4.1 | 0.254 | 0.309 | 174 | 5955 | 1513 | 456 | 139 | 0.02 | 681 | 471 | 1318 | 58 | 1192 | 135 | 106 | | | | Home Games | 4.0 | 0.257 | 0.312 | 86 | 2835 | 728 | 208 | 56 | 0.02 | 325 | 227 | 633 | 30 | 573 | 69 | 53 | | | | Righty Starters | 4.3 | 0.257 | 0.311 | 113 | 3901 | 1003 | 310 | 97 | 0.02 | 468 | 308 | 845 | 44 | 776 | 81 | 70 | | |
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| All Games | 2.95 | 1.052 | 512.4 | 178 | 168 | 397 | 43 | 142 | 422 | 37-15 | 51 | 19 | 72.9% | | Home Games | 2.84 | 1.053 | 253.7 | 84 | 80 | 198 | 19 | 69 | 212 | 19-8 | 21 | 11 | 65.6% |
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| 10/10/2014 | SHIELDS(R) | @ BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | 8-6 | W | 110 | 7 un | O | 12 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 1 | | 10/11/2014 | VENTURA(R) | @ BALTIMORE | NORRIS(R) | 6-4 | W | 105 | 7 un | O | 13 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 1 | | 10/14/2014 | GUTHRIE(R) | BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | 2-1 | W | +100 | 7 ev | U | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | | 10/15/2014 | VARGAS(L) | BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | 2-1 | W | -120 | 7.5 un | U | 5 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | | 10/21/2014 | SHIELDS(R) | SAN FRANCISCO | BUMGARNER(L) | 1-7 | L | +100 | 6.5 un | O | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | | 10/22/2014 | VENTURA(R) | SAN FRANCISCO | PEAVY(R) | 7-2 | W | -135 | 7 un | O | 10 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 0 | | 10/24/2014 | GUTHRIE(R) | @ SAN FRANCISCO | HUDSON(R) | | | 10/25/2014 | VARGAS(L) | @ SAN FRANCISCO | VOGELSONG(R) | |
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| 10/11/2014 | BUMGARNER(L) | @ ST LOUIS | WAINWRIGHT(R) | 3-0 | W | 110 | 6 un | U | 8 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | | 10/12/2014 | PEAVY(R) | @ ST LOUIS | LYNN(R) | 4-5 | L | 120 | 6.5 ov | O | 10 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 10/14/2014 | HUDSON(R) | ST LOUIS | LACKEY(R) | 5-4 | W | -115 | 7 un | O | 6 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 1 | | 10/15/2014 | VOGELSONG(R) | ST LOUIS | MILLER(R) | 6-4 | W | -115 | 7 un | O | 11 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 0 | | 10/16/2014 | BUMGARNER(L) | ST LOUIS | WAINWRIGHT(R) | 6-3 | W | -150 | 6 un | O | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | | 10/21/2014 | BUMGARNER(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | SHIELDS(R) | 7-1 | W | -110 | 6.5 un | O | 10 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | | 10/22/2014 | PEAVY(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | 2-7 | L | 125 | 7 un | O | 9 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | | 10/24/2014 | HUDSON(R) | KANSAS CITY | GUTHRIE(R) | | | 10/25/2014 | VOGELSONG(R) | KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | |
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| |  | KANSAS CITY: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - James Shields thinks back to last year, thoughtfully piecing together what was missing from the Kansas City Royals as they made a late push for the postseason.
The pitching was strong. The offense was coming around. The defense was sublime.
He finally settled on experience.
''These guys that didn't realize or have never been to September, when you're fighting for a playoff spot, now you have that experience,'' Shields said. ''And I think that was one of the things we were lacking last season, the experience. You tend to put too much on your shoulders. And I think the second half we definitely relaxed and put all that aside and had fun and played the game the way we know how to play, and it showed.
''I think with the experience factor now,'' Shields concluded, ''we're ready to go.''
After finishing 86-76 a year ago, and contending into September for the first time in a decade, the Royals have their sets sight squarely on their first playoff appearance since 1985 this year.
Anything less would be a disappointment. Anything less would be a failure.
''Last year was a blast. When the end of the season came in Chicago, nobody wanted to leave,'' first baseman Eric Hosmer said. ''They knew how close we were. We were right there. And it left a good taste in everyone's mouth going into the offseason, knowing how good everyone can be.''
Indeed, the Royals return most of their key players from a year ago, signing left-hander Jason Vargas to replace their only significant loss, starting pitcher Ervin Santana. They also upgraded at their weakest spots, trading for Norichika Aoki to play right field and bat leadoff and signing Omar Infante to settle a second base position that has been a black hole for years.
All of which left the notoriously frugal franchise with a record-setting payroll.
Royals manager Ned Yost hopes all those moves will pay off for a rotation that was among the league's best last year, and an offense that was among the league's worst.
''It's going to be a lineup that has offensive sequence from one to nine. You're not going to have any dead spots,'' Yost said. ''You're not going to get something going and then bam, run into a wall and have to get going again. At least, I hope not. I don't think so.''
So with more experience and an upgraded lineup, Kansas City enters its season opener Sunday at Detroit with boundless enthusiasm. | | SAN FRANCISCO: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - From every slot in a talented, experienced rotation to the back end of the bullpen and in between, to the starting fielders and the role players on the bench, it's hard to find a member of the San Francisco Giants pleased with his 2013 season.
A year after winning the World Series, the Giants finished 10 games under .500, third in the NL West and they missed the playoffs.
''We don't even have to have the conversation, a lot of the guys know it,'' right-hander Matt Cain said. ''We didn't pitch the way that we wanted to.''
As the Giants begin a new year, they will try to keep up with the big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers and regain the grip they had on the NL West when the club won World Series championships in 2010 and `12 - even if everybody expects the Dodgers to be the team to beat.
''You do try to reflect back and try to learn from what happened last year and how you can get better,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ''You move forward, that's what we had to do. There are some things we'll talk about in the spring, mistakes that we made last year. Also, hopefully guys come in with an attitude, that they weren't happy with what happened the year before and want to get back on track.''
Buster Posey certainly doesn't want to spend too much time thinking about last season.
''That's probably how everybody feels. There's a bad taste in a lot of guys' mouths,'' Posey said. ''We want to come out and focus on winning ballgames.''
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| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER NL PREVIEW (KANSAS CITY-SAN FRANCISCO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Updates throughout. Updates photo links. With AP Photos.)
*Royals-Giants Preview* =======================
By BEN WALKER AP Baseball Writer
Kansas City (89-73) at San Francisco (88-74), 8:07 p.m. EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Eric Hosmer loaded up, launched a long fly and watched it sail toward McCovey Cove. Way out there in right field, near the 421-foot mark, the ball bonked off the brick wall.
No splash shot.
"We were definitely trying to hit `em," the Kansas City first baseman said. "We took turns trying, but no one did."
Even so, Hosmer liked what he saw during a workout Thursday as many Royals got their first look at San Francisco's waterfront ballpark.
Starting in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday against the Giants, they might also discover what makes AT&T Park so unique.
"It's a little quirky out there," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said.
Just wait until someone trips over a bullpen mound chasing a foul ball. Or somebody loses a fly in the mist that wafts above shallow center. Or those swirling winds turn a routine popup into an all-out scramble.
Who knows? Might even get a crazy carom off that odd-shaped brick facade on the right-field wall, resulting in the first Series inside-the-park home run since 1929.
"With that brick wall and that chain-link fence, the ball go could go anywhere," Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain said.
Tim Hudson starts for San Francisco against Jeremy Guthrie as the Royals play their first game in San Francisco since 2005, when they took two of three. Buddy Bell was their manager back then, Tony Graffanino batted third and Jeremy Affeldt was in the bullpen.
The 35-year-old Affeldt now pitches for the Giants and came on in relief Wednesday night in a 7-2 loss. He said he figured the Royals could handle the new park.
"That's an athletic team over there. So I think they can make adjustments. I don't think we'll go in thinking that they're at a disadvantage because of not being at our ballpark," he said.
Seven players on the Royals' 25-man roster have played at AT&T Park with other teams. Of the most frequent visitors, Josh Willingham has hit .352 with five homers in 16 games and Omar Infante has batted .307 in 19 games, STATS said.
Among the pitchers, Guthrie did fine in two starts and Jason Frasor made two relief appearances.
Cain played one game at the stadium in 2010 when he was with Milwaukee. The AL Championship Series MVP practiced with coach Rusty Kuntz to gauge the bounces.
"You have no idea of where it's going," Cain said.
Good luck, Giants designated hitter Michael Morse said.
"It's a big park; right field is tricky. The wind does a lot of different things in the outfield, so our guys are used to it," he said. "It's tough. It's tough out there. But everybody's a professional. I don't think it will be a factor."
One thing will change, for sure. With no designated hitter in the NL park, Morse and Kansas City's Billy Butler will lose their spots - Morse drove in a run during a 7-1 win in the opener, while Butler already has three hits and a pair of RBIs.
With tight foul ground, gusts that whip off the bay, twilight starts and pesky seagulls that hover around in the late innings, a lot of balls become adventures in San Francisco. In 2007, Ichiro Suzuki hit the first inside-the-park home run in an All-Star game when his shot off the right-field wall took a weird ricochet.
There have been nine inside-the-parkers in World Series play. Lou Gehrig and Casey Stengel are on the list, and Mule Haas of the Philadelphia Athletics hit the last one.
Plus, postseason is frequently a weather adventure in the Bay Area. Players need to pack for all sorts of conditions - short sleeves, hoodies, hats and gloves.
During the NLCS, Bochy said the teams played in the toughest winds of the season. Right fielder Hunter Pence had no chance trying to track a fly ball by St. Louis' Kolten Wong that landed for a triple.
"You play this game, you play in a lot of different ballparks and you find a way to adjust," Pence said this week. "I think everyone's going to enjoy it." |
| | Last Updated: 4/25/2024 4:37:19 AM EST. |
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