Both teams made the World Series after playing in the Wild Card game. This series is the first time a fourth seed has faced a fifth seed in the series. The 162 game regular season is rapidly losing importance.
The Giants wasted no time in roughing up Kansas City's starter James Shields. Hunter Pence slammed a two-run homer after Pablo Sandoval doubled in a run. The Giants were up 3-0 before Madison Bumgarner took the hill.
Once Bumgartner was on the mound, the game was effectively over. He befuddled the Royals' hitters. Kansas City had a chance in the bottom of the third when Omar Infante reached on shortstop Brandon Crawford's error. Mike Moustakas doubled. But the top of the order failed the Royals. With two outs, Lorenzo Cain walked to load the bases, but cleanup hitter Eric Hosner weakly grounded to second base, uncharacteristically failing in the clutch.
The Giants tacked on two more in the next inning to take a 5-0 lead. Michael Morse knocked in Hunter Pence with a single. Later, when Shields was lifted, Danny Duffy walked Gregor Blanco with the bases loaded.
In the seventh, rookie second baseman Joe Panik tripled home Blanco, who had walked. Duffy was lifted after three plus innings. Sandoval later singled home Panik for the Giants seventh run.
In the bottom of the inning, catcher Salvador Perez nailed a homer off of Bumgarner, who gave up three hits and finished the seventh. Javier Lopez and Hunter Strickland shut the door the rest of the way for a 7-1 Giants victory.
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