Royals sweep Orioles to advance to World Series

[kimevents]

Kansas City Royals celebrate its first World Series trip in 29 years.(Photo: Peter G. Aiken, USA TODAY)KANSAS CITY The Cheap super bowl jerseys Royals can officially wear the crown of American League champions after completing an improbable sweep of the Orioles. In typical Royals fashion, they scored all their runs in the first inning without the ball ever leaving the infield. From there, pitching and defense took over as the franchise's magic carpet ride through the postseason continues to the World Series.

Box score: Royals 2, Orioles 1; Royals win series, 4 0.

State of the Series: The Royals will take their eight game postseason winning streak into the World Series, which will begin next Tuesday here at Kauffman Stadium against either the San Francisco Giants or the St. Louis Cardinals. The cheap jerseys last time the Royals played in the Fall Classic was in 1985 when they defeated the Cardinals in seven games.

The Orioles were swept in the postseason for the first time in franchise history.

Game 4 pivot point: The Royals got all the runs they'd need before the Orioles were even able to record the second out of the game. Alcides Escobar led off with an infield single, Nori Aoki was hit by a pitch and No. 3 hitter Lorenzo Cain laid down the first sacrifice bunt Patriots Super Bowl Appearances - New Champions NFL Jerseys of his career. That put runners at second and third for Eric Hosmer.

Hosmer hit a hot shot grounder to first baseman Steve Pearce, who knowing how scarce runs have been in this series threw home to try to get Alcides Escobar. His throw was low and as catcher Caleb Joseph tried to make the tag, Escobar's slide knocked the ball away. Aoki came speeding around third to score on the play and the Royals had a quick 2 0 lead.

Defensive play of the game: The question now isn't whether or not the Royals will make a brilliant defensive play in a game, but who will make it. This time, left fielder Alex Gordon provided the highlights.

Gordon first made a nice running catch on a Steve Pearce liner to end the top of the third. But that was just the appetizer for the main course.

Game 4 in Kansas City Royals 2, Orioles 1:Royals infielder Mike Moustakas celebrates after defeating the Orioles. (Photo: Peter G. Hardy ripped a liner deep to left field. On the dead run, Gordon fully extended his glove hand to catch the ball on the warning track just before he crashed into the scoreboard fence. Gordon tumbled to the ground and didn't immediately get up. He did lift up his glove hand to show that he made the catch. After a few anxious moments for the Royals fans, Gordon rose to his feet unscathed.

Man of the moment: The Royals have opened eyes across the country with their spectacular defense and relief pitching, but the job starter Jason Vargas did in his 5 1/3 innings of work was every bit as important to their series clinching victory.

Vargas' only mistake was leaving an 89 mph fastball out over the middle of the plate that Ryan Flaherty launched for a home run into the right field seats. Otherwise, he allowed just one other hit (along with three walks) in keeping the Orioles bats in check. Once he made it into the sixth inning, the Royals' trusty bullpen was more than capable of taking things from there.

Manager's special: For all his sabermetric detractors, Royals manager Ned Yost deserves credit for adapting his strategies to the postseason. After adhering strictly to his designated seventh, eighth and ninth inning relievers during the regular season, Yost called on Kelvin Herrera with one out in the sixth in Game 4, knowing he would have plenty of time to rest his bullpen if the Royals could pull off a sweep.

Herrera provided 1 2/3 scoreless innings, Wade Davis pitched a perfect eighth and Greg Holland once again closed things out in the ninth.

Needing a mulligan: The Orioles had problems mustering any kind of offensive threat throughout the series. Their best chance to even the score came in the top of the sixth with Vargas still on the mound.

Jonathan Schoop walked to lead off the inning before Vargas struck out Nick Markakis his final batter of the game. Against a Royals bullpen that's been almost untouchable, Adam Jones put runners on the corners with an opposite field single off Kelvin Herrera. But Herrera retired the Orioles' best hitter in the postseason Nelson Cruz on a liner to second Dt5FW6a9x to end the threat and preserve a one run lead.