Royals return to World Series after thrilling Game 6 win
The Kansas City Royals are World Series-bound for a second straight season.
Eric Hosmer drove in the winning run with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth and closer Wade Davis stranded the tying run at third base in the ninth, as the Royals edged the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in Game 6 to win the ALCS.
Royals manager Ned Yost decided to stick with Davis despite sitting through a 45-minute rain delay in the eighth inning. The skipper's patience was tested early as his closer allowed a lead-off single to Russell Martin. Blue Jays speedster Dalton Pompey pinch-ran, and would swipe second and third.
Kevin Pillar followed with a walk and a stolen base, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Davis responded by striking out Dioner Navarro and Ben Revere before inducing the final out from MVP-candidate Josh Donaldson to end the game.
The Blue Jays finished 0-for-12 in the game and 11-58 (.190) for the series.
Top Performer: Bautista closed out a remarkable first postseason performance with one of his best efforts. The six-time All-Star hit a solo home run in the fourth, and added a clutch two-run homer in the eighth to tie the game 3-3. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Starting Pitchers: After a trio of less than stellar starts, Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura brought his best performance into Game 6. The 24-year-old allowed just one run off four hits and a pair of walks before being pulled after surrendering a one-out double.
In what could have been his final start as a Blue Jay, David Price was excellent. Aside from surrendering a pair of early solo home runs, the left-hander allowed three hits and one walk over 6 2/3 innings while striking out eight. Price finished his outing having allowed two hits to the final 20 batters he faced.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura | 5.1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Price | 6.2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
Key Moment: After Lorenzo Cain drew a lead-off walk in the eighth off Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, Hosmer followed with a single down the right-field line. Bautista fielded the ball and opted to make the throw to second base, allowing Cain to race around the bases and score the eventual winning run.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)
Up Next: The Blue Jays' season is over while the Royals will prepare to open Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Mets beginning Tuesday.