Giants suddenly in unfamiliar situation at World Series
SAN FRANCISCO – This isn't what the San Francisco Giants expected when they returned home to AT&T Park after splitting the first two games of the World Series in Kansas City.
As a playoff-tested, veteran team, the Giants figured to be the ones to seize the moment and take control of the series. Instead, the Royals jumped ahead in the top of the first inning and made the crucial plays down the stretch for a 3-2 victory in Game 3.
Although no one in the Giants dugout is panicking, the coaching staff did discuss the possibility of bringing back ace Madison Bumgarner on short rest to start Game 4.
Ultimately, manager Bruce Bochy decided the best decision was "keeping things in order" and sending Ryan Vogelsong to the mound on Saturday.
"We're not going to change anything because we lost," Bochy said.
Still, the loss was difficult to stomach after the Giants took away the home field advantage in Game 1 – but then gave it right back.
"Does it change the feeling? Sure. We're not up 2-1, but we have guys who've been through that already in 2012 (when the Giants trailed the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in the NL Championship Series)," said reliever Javier Lopez, who gave up an RBI single in the sixth inning to Eric Hosmer that brought home the Royals' final run of the game.
"We've just got to try to forget about what happened," outfielder Gregor Blanco said. "We still have two more games here at home that are huge. We'll just try to go out there tomorrow and do our best."
After having their World Series winning streak – one that dated back to 2010 – snapped at seven when they lost Game 2 in Kansas City, the Giants now face the unfamiliar task of having to come from behind to win their third World Series in five years.
"The way these guys are is so professional. We never count ourselves out of it until the last out of every game," outfielder Michael Morse said. "Losing today is a bummer, but you know what, we've got a game tomorrow."
Morse was battling flu-like symptoms all day and had to have IV fluids before the game. However, he still came in to deliver a pinch-hit double to drive in San Francisco's first run in the sixth inning.
Buster Posey cashed in Morse with an RBI groundout, but the All-Star catcher is hitting just .268 in this year's playoffs. And he's still looking for his first extra-base hit.
The Giants aren't accustomed to having their best overall hitter struggling, especially after he finished the regular season with a .393/.436/.607 line in the month of September.
But hitting coach Hensley Meulens isn't worried.
"He almost hit a home run the last time up," Meulens said. "He was just a tick ahead of the pitch. It was a 95 mph fastball right down the middle. He barreled it, but he was a little out front.
"We saw the swing on video and there was nothing wrong with that swing."
Perhaps an even bigger obstacle is the Royals dominant bullpen, which held the Giants hitless over the final four innings of Game 3.
"They can shorten the game with the best of them," Lopez said. "We had our opportunities, and we didn't capitalize, but I don't think anyone's hanging their heads for that reason. We've just got to come in tomorrow and do the best we can."
The story in Game 3 was almost a repeat of what happened in Kansas City two days earlier, when Herrera, Davis and Holland combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief in a Royals win.
"They've still got to throw strikes. Just because they're throwing hard, you can't give in," Morse said.
If there's any consolation for San Francisco hitters, Kansas City needed to use all three of their big bullpen guns – Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland – to get the win on Friday.
That could limit their effectiveness or – in the case of Herrera, who threw 27 pitches in 1 1/3 innings on Friday – possibly be unavailable to pitch in Game 4.
"They've proved it all year that they're tough to hit so this is not news for nobody," Meulens said.
"We've just got to make sure that we try to do what we did in the first game. We score early so we don't see 'em."