ALDS 2014, Angels vs Royals final score: No need for drama as 8-3 victory sweeps KC into ALCS

The Royals topped the Tigers 8-3 to sweep the series and move on to the ALCS where they’ll take on the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s unlikely many people picked the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series at the start of the MLB playoffs, let alone at the beginning of the regular season, way back in April. Getting to the playoffs after a 29-year absence apparently wasn’t good enough for Kansas City, nor was winning the Wild Card game to advance to the ALDS. The Royals have shocked baseball once again by sweeping the Los Angeles Angels, owners of the best record in the regular season by winning Game Three, 8-3.

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Kansas City had won three straight playoff games in extra innings (at home versus the Oakland Athletics in the Wild Card game, and Games One and Two in Anaheim) but it wasn’t needed tonight. Despite an early Angels lead, courtesy of a Mike Trout solo home run off Kansas City starter James Shields, the Royals took the drama out of this one early.

The Royals got started in the bottom of the first inning against veteran left-hander C.J. Wilson, with back-to-back singles by Nori Aoki and Lorenzo Cain with one away. Wilson struck out Eric Hosmer on three pitches, and then walked Billy Butler on four straight balls to load the bases. Then Alex Gordon cleared the bases with his second double of the MLB playoffs (and advanced to third on the play), making the score 3-1, Kansas City.

After Gordon’s double, Wilson was yanked from the game by Angels manager Mike Scioscia, with a final line of 0.2 IP, three hits allowed, three runs allowed (all earned) with a walk and a strikeout. Reliever Vinnie Pestano got catcher Salvador Perez to pop up to end the inning, but the Royals grabbed a lead they would never relinquish.

The Royals tacked on two more in the third, when Hector Santiago walked Aoki to start the inning. Santiago got Cain to pop up to the infield, but Hosmer connected on a 2-0 fastball for a two-run home run to center field and the score was 5-1 Kansas City.

Los Angeles had a major threat in the top of the fourth inning. Albert Pujols led off the inning with a home run to left, making the score 5-2. Eric Aybar doubled with one out, and then Shields hit David Freese with a pitch. Josh Hamilton grounded into a force out, erasing Freese at second, making it runners on the corners and two down. Shields struck out C.J. Cron and the Angels were done for the inning.

Shields went six innings, allowing six hits, two runs, both earned and both via the solo home run. He struck out six and walked two. Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect seventh inning with a strikeout.

The Royals would get runs back in the bottom of the fourth, when Mike Moustakas homered for the second time this postseason. After the Moustakas dinger, Alcides Escobar singled to left, and then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Los Angeles reliever Mike Morin. Aoki singled to put runners on the corners, and Cain made the score 7-2 with a sacrafice fly to left field. Cain only had one hit the entire night, but contributed some sensational defense in center field.

Aoki helped Kansas City scratch across another run in the bottom of the sixth. Omar Infante led off the inning with a walk and after one out, Escobar singled to get Infante to second. Aoki came through again for the Royals, with an RBI single to center to score Infante. Aoki finished with a perfect night, going 3-3 with three singles, a walk and a RBI. The Angels would get another run in the top of the eighth off of Royals reliever Wade Davis. The normally-stellar Davis allowed a leadoff double to Howie Kendrick and then a single to Aybar, which moved Kendrick to third. Aybar stole second base when Freese struck out swinging. Davis induced a groundball from Hamilton for the second out, but Kendrick scored and Aybar went to third. But Davis struck out Cron swinging on five pitches to end the Angels threat, for the eventual final score of 8-3.

Three drama-free outs from closer Greg Holland later, including two strikeouts, and the Royals had punched their tickets to Baltimore for the ALCS. The Orioles will have home-field advantage for the best-of-seven league championship series. The Angels used eight pitchers in the loss, but Cory Rasmus led the game for the Halos with 2.1 innings pitched, only allowing a walk. Aybar went 4-4 but Los Angeles was never able to drive the shortstop in for a run. If you’re a fan of MLB parity, get ready for some fresh faces in the Orioles-Royals ALCS:

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