American League Game Summary - Baltimore at Kansas City

Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Timely hitting and great relief pitching have carried the Kansas City Royals a long way this postseason.

It's looking like all the way to the World Series.

Billy Butler drove in the eventual deciding run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and Kansas City's sensational bullpen made it stand up in a 2-1 decision over the Baltimore Orioles that has the resurgent Royals just one win away from the Fall Classic.

Four Kansas City relievers combined for four perfect innings in Tuesday's Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Jason Frasor (2-0) worked a perfect top of the sixth in relief of Jeremy Guthrie before the three-headed monster of Kelvim Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland protected the 2-1 lead and gave the Royals a 3-0 advantage in this best-of-seven set.

Kansas City, now a spotless 7-0 during these playoffs, will attempt to nail down its first World Series trip since 1985 Wednesday afternoon on its home turf of Kauffman Stadium.

"To be in this position right here, it's tremendous, because there's times you feel like you don't know if (success) going to happen," Butler said. "(General manager) Dayton (Moore) has done a great job of drafting tremendous players, and the city's been reaping the benefits of that and so are we."

Lorenzo Cain followed up a four-hit performance in Saturday's Game 2 by going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Eric Hosmer also had two hits for the Royals.

The Orioles managed just three hits as a team, with J.J. Hardy knocking in their lone run with a second-inning double.

"(The Royals) have been getting that big hit, that big timely hit that we haven't been able to get," said Orioles first baseman Steve Pearce.

Wei-Yin Chen provided the desperate Orioles with the solid start they were counting on, but surrendered a leadoff hit to Nori Aoki and a one-out smash single to Hosmer that forced his departure in the bottom of the sixth with the game deadlocked at 1-1.

Kevin Gausman came in with the intent of getting the slow-footed Butler to ground into a double play in the runners-on-the-corners situation. However, the veteran designated hitter was able to drive a ball plenty deep enough to left field to easily score pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson without a throw.

"Threw a great first pitch, tried to do the same one again. Think it kind of stayed up a little bit," said Gausman of Butler's at-bat. He's a professional hitter. He's been around the league for a while and guys in that situation, they know what they need to do."

Kansas City's relief corps shut the Orioles down from there. Herrera fanned two with a near 100-mph fastball during a flawless seventh, Davis registered three quick outs in the eighth and Holland needed just six pitches to mow down the heart of Baltimore's lineup -- Adam Jones, Nelson Cruz and Pearce -- and notch his third straight save of the series.

The Royals set down the final 16 Baltimore batters, with the Orioles last baserunner coming when Guthrie walked Ryan Flaherty with two out in the fourth inning.

Chen (0-1) was charged with both runs and permitted seven hits while striking out four over 5 1/3 innings of work.

Guthrie, working on an 18-day layoff, retired the side in order in the first inning but was tagged for back-to-back doubles by Pearce and J.J. Hardy to begin the second as Baltimore gained the early upper hand.

It marked the first time Kansas City had trailed since the Angels' Mike Trout homered in the opening inning of Game 3 of the ALDS. The Royals had gone 46 consecutive innings without being behind at the conclusion of the frame.

Guthrie kept Baltimore's offense under wraps over the remainder of his stint, but was removed in favor of Frasor after delivering 94 pitches through five innings -- though he threw just 11 in a 1-2-3 fifth. The former Oriole held his ex-club to three hits and a pair of walks while leaving in a 1-1 tie.

"I was running on fumes at that point, so they made a great decision," said Guthrie. "Frasor was well-rested, he came in and was just nasty tonight. I thought his stuff was as good as I've ever seen it."

Chen, meanwhile, was very sharp the first time through the Kansas City order before running into some trouble in the fourth inning. Cain and Hosmer reached on back-to-back singles and Butler drew a walk to load the bases in front of Alex Gordon's grounder to second that pushed home the Royals' initial run.