KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Royals, that scrappy run-run-run team quickly endearing itself to baseball purists, is proving small ball works on the game’s biggest stage.
After a wild win over Oakland in its first playoff game in nearly three decades, the Royals – who finished last by a wide margin in home runs this season – are just one win away from sweeping the mighty, power-hitting Los Angeles Angels.
Their best-of-five Divisional Series shifts to Kansas City on Sunday.
The Royals will be sending their ace, James Shields, to the mound at Kauffman Stadium, where he last started Tuesday night in that dramatic win over the A’s.
It will be up to C.J. Wilson to try to keep the Angels alive.