Royals playoff memory: Oct. 22, 1985

There would be no sweep for the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series.

After taking the first two games in Kansas City, the Cards returned to Busch Stadium looking for a quick end to the series, but the Royals rolled to a 6-1 victory.

Bret Saberhagen struck out eight, and second baseman Frank White, the team’s clean-up hitter in the series, blasted a two-run home run and finished the night with three RBIs.

“When I hit a home run, I’m as surprised at the next guy,” White said. “But if I get a pitch, I can hit it out of any ballpark.”

St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog praised the performance of the 21-year-old Saberhagen.

“This kid has great knowledge of pitching and can do so much with the baseball,” Herzog said. “He changes speeds and it’s amazing how he can get all three pitches over at his age”

No team had ever won a World Series after losing the first two games at home, so the odds remained stacked against the Royals. With St. Louis ace and Game 1 winner John Tudor set to pitch Game 4, the Cards were still in control of the series.

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Royals playoff memory: Oct. 22, 1985."