The Kansas City Royals parlayed a record-setting start to a 14-2 victory over Toronto on Tuesday that pushed the Blue Jays to the brink of elimination from the Major League Baseball playoffs.
The Royals, trying to get back to the World Series a year after falling to the San Francisco Giants in baseball’s championship showcase, took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.
Stung by three Toronto home runs in an 11-8 loss on Monday, the Royals raced to an early lead against Blue Jays starting pitcher R.A. Dickey.
Four runs, highlighted by Ben Zobrist’s two-run home run, were the most scored in the top of the first inning in an American League Championship Series game.
The Royals also scored four runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth, finally tacking on two in the ninth on the way to the rout, which left Toronto battling to stay alive when they were to host Game 5 yesterday.
The winner of the series will meet either the New York Mets or Chicago Cubs in the World Series, starting on Oct. 27.
The Kansas City Royals wasted no time in getting going.
Alcides Escobar laid a bunt down the third-base line for a leadoff base hit, becoming the first player to lead off the first inning with a hit in each of the first four games of a league championship series.
Zobrist deposited the fourth pitch of the contest into the right-centerfield seats for a 2-0 lead.
Lorenzo Cain then drew a walk and advanced to third on Eric Hosmer’s single, dashing home on a passed ball by Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin.
The “safe” call on Cain withstood a Toronto challenge, and Mike Moustakas plated another run with a sacrifice fly.
Alex Rios made it 5-0 for the Royals, leading off the second frame with a home run off knuckleballer Dickey, who lasted just 1-2/3 innings.
The Blue Jays trimmed the deficit with two runs in the third, but the Royals nabbed another four runs in the seventh inning, making the most of three hits and two sacrifice flies, as well as a wild pitch from Toronto reliver Ryan Tepera, to stretch the lead to 9-2.
The Royals added three runs in the eighth, and with two outs in the ninth, the reeling Blue Jays brought infielder Cliff Pennington in to pitch.
He gave up a single to Paulo Orlando and a two-run single to Escobar, who finished with four runs-batted-in.
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