Alcides Escobar jumps on Hudson, and jump-starts Royals
SAN FRANCISCO - As Alcides Escobar strolled to the plate Friday to begin Game 3 of the World Series, one of baseball's most atypical leadoff batters had a sudden thought.
A typically boisterous AT&T Park crowd roared, and San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Hudson ramped up for his first World Series start after a 16-year career, and Escobar decided no matter what, he'd seize control of the situation.
"First pitch of the game," he says, "people don't throw a changeup. They usually throw a fastball.
"When I got up to home plate, I said, 'I'm swinging.'''
And with that swing, a pall was cast over the 43,020 fans, the World Series tipped toward the Kansas City Royals, and Escobar continued a campaign to be its most valuable player.
The Royals shortstop nearly hit the ball out of the park, but it banged off the wall in left field for a double. Two timely ground balls later, and the Royals had a lead they'd never relinquish. Their 3-2 win over the Giants was sealed by a two-run, sixth-inning rally and the 12 steely outs recorded by their peerless bullpen.
But it began with a statement from a player whose move to the top of the Royals lineup was met with some degree of skepticism.
"The crowd was getting loud on that first pitch," says Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, "Escy goes out and hits a double and it was like, 'Here we go. We're gonna roll right now.'"
And the same could be said for the Royals once they promoted Escobar from the nether reaches of their lineup to the very top. They auditioned six leadoff batters this season, but placed Escobar there for good on Sept. 13.
The criticism voiced at the time was not baseless: Escobar's career on-base percentage is just .299, and it was a sickly .259 just one season ago.
But the results are undeniable.
Escobar batted .362 - with a .397 on-base percentage - out of the No. 1 spot, and the team took off, too. The Royals are 19-7 since promoting Escobar, including their stirring 10-1 playoff run.
In an era that emphasizes on-base percentage, Escobar is unapologetically on the attack.
"I just to go home plate and be aggressive," he says. "I like to swing the bat. I don't take too many walks.
"And I'm feeling really good right now."
Hudson found that out one pitch too late.
"Normally they don't swing at the first pitch of the game too often," he said. "You have to give him credit -- he could've popped it up just as easily as he doubled it. But he didn't pop it up. He hit a double and got me in a jam right there off the get go."
Five innings later, Hudson was riding a streak of 12 consecutive Royals retired when Escobar singled off him. That sparked the decisive two-run rally.
And after three games, Escobar is batting .417 (5 for 12) with a pair of doubles and his typically excellent defense that earned him a Gold Glove nomination this year.
"He's got a little pop in that bat, as well," said outfielder Lorenzo Cain, whose RBI groundout scored Escobar in the first. "You can't sleep on that part of his game. He's a huge addition to the top of the lineup.
"I would say we don't have a traditional leadoff batter on this team. He's probably the best thing we have. You gotta go with what you have and so far, since he's been up there, he's definitely been getting it done."
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