The Reverend: Pence's bat does the talking in Game 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When Hunter Pence returned to the San Francisco Giants' dugout after his two-run homer in the first inning Tuesday, he didn't exactly get the standard greeting.
Certainly, his blast to center field elicited jubilation and a parade of high-fives, along with the "Yes! Yes! Yes!'' celebration the club has adopted.
But even Game 1 of the World Series is a fine time for a little dugout razzing when you're the Giants, and Pence was due for some after an extended long-ball dry spell. Pence had not homered in the postseason since Game 4 of the 2012 National League Championship Series, a span of 17 games, and had gone deep just once since Sept. 2. He had one homer in his 31 career postseason games.
So along with the hearty backslaps, Pence got some reminders that it had been a while.
"Some of the guys we're giving him a hard time. It's a fun bunch,'' said Jake Peavy, who will take the mound tonight with a 1-0 series lead after the Giants knocked off the Kansas City Royals 7-1. "He was saying, 'It's about time I helped.' Let me tell you something, Hunter's helped in every game we've played so far to get us here. Getting him going is a huge, huge lift for us offensively.''
Indeed, the Giants produced their third-biggest scoring output in 20 World Series openers, and a big part of the reason was Pence, who came in with a .256 batting average and three extra-base hits – all doubles – in 39 at-bats this postseason.
He nearly matched the total of extra-base hits with the homer and a double Tuesday, to go along with two walks, as San Francisco took an early lead and didn't let go.
The Giants jumped on Royals starter James Shields right away, scoring the game's first run on Pablo Sandoval's one-out double to right with two runners on. A well-executed relay nailed Buster Posey at the plate trying to score from first, giving Shields a chance to escape without further damage.
But then Pence teed off on a 3-2 fastball down the middle, giving the Giants a 3-0 lead the Royals could not overcome as they lost for the first time this postseason after eight wins in a row.
"You hate making outs at home, which I've done three times now this postseason,'' Posey said. "For Hunter to get us two more there was definitely a big boost.''
And it silenced a roaring Kauffman Stadium. The capacity crowd of 40,459, stoked to see the Royals in the World Series for the first time since 1985, was still buzzing about the out at the plate when Pence stepped up, 0-for-11 in his career against Shields.
On a 3-2 count, Pence hammered a drive over Lorenzo Cain's head that pretty much ruined the party for the locals, especially with Giants ace Madison Bumgarner being his usual stingy self in the postseason. The lefty tossed seven innings of one-run ball for his third career World Series win in three starts.
Asked whether he noticed how quiet the stadium got after his home run, Pence responded in typical quirky fashion.
"No, it was still really loud in my head,'' he said. "I say this and I truly mean it: Sometimes my mind when I'm playing the game or I'm doing something good, it's like an emptiness. I don't know what's going on around me.''
His teammates do. Other than Posey, Pence might have been the Giants' most valuable performer this season, when he played in every game for the second year in a row to run his streak to 383 consecutive games played, currently the longest in the majors.
The heavy workload may have taken a toll, as Pence slumped to a .165 batting average in September, falling out of the MVP race after earlier consideration.
But the Giants appreciated Pence's versatility and willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Pence was pressed into leadoff duties midway through the season when center fielder Angel Pagan sustained a back injury that sidelined him for two months, and he finished second in the league with 106 runs scored. Pence also ranked second on the team with 74 RBI despite batting first or second in 125 games.
Now back in his more-traditional run-producing spot behind cleanup hitter Sandoval, Pence gives San Francisco another threat in a deep lineup that banged out 10 hits Tuesday.
"He's a guy that's always doing something to inspire his teammates,'' manager Bruce Bochy said of the player sometimes called The Revered for his rousing pregame speeches. "Not just the way he plays and the energy he plays with, but inside that clubhouse, off the field, and that's what we all love about him.''
It also helps when Pence mixes in an occasional home run.
GALLERY: WORLD SERIES - GIANTS vs. ROYALS