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VOLUME 128 ISSUE 30
KANSAN.COM
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
A ROYAL RETURN
Kansas City Royals' Billy Butler (left) and Jarrod Dyson celebrate after the Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 in Game 4 of the American League championship series Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals will advance to the World Series for the first time in 29 years.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ROYALS SWEEP ORIOLES TO ADVANCE TO WORLD SERIES
G. J. MELIA
@gimelia
The Kansas City Royals completed the sweep of the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 on Wednesday evening, clinching a spot in the World Series for the first time since 1985.
The Royals are the first team ever to start 8-0 in the MLB postseason. The 2007 Colorado
wednesday night, the Royals were led by starting pitcher Jason Vargas, who pitched five and one-third innings before reliever Kelvin Herrera in the sixth inning. Vargas allowed only one run while fanning 14 of 19 batters.
Rockies began 7-0 before losing four straight to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. The 1976 Cincinnati Reds won the World Series after going 7-0 in the playoffs, before the format included a divisional series.
Kansas City struck first in the bottom of the first on an Eric Hosmer RBI fielder's choice, to score shortstop Alcides Escobar from third.
On the throw to home to get Escobar, Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph was unable to, control and the ball kicked to the backstop, scoring rightfielder Nori Aoki on the error.
Orioles third baseman Ryan Flaherty homered in the top of the third inning, cutting the lead to one.
But the Kansas City defense held strong as it has all season, this time a spectacular catch from left fielder Alex Gordon. Gordon, a three-time gold glove winner, robbed Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy of an extra-base hit in the top of the fifth.
Relievers Wade Davis and Greg Holland sealed the win for the Royals in the eighth and ninth innings, with Davis earning his fifth hold of the postseason, and Holland grabbing his sixth save of the playoffs.
Kansas City will now play the winner of the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants National League Championship Series. The first game will be Tuesday, time TBD.
Edited by Kelsie Jennings