The story of the World Series game three

1st

inning

Out of the gate quickly

The Royals came out swinging and were the first team to draw blood. Alcides Escobar ripped the first pitch from Tim Hudson and lined a double to left field. Alex Gordon grounded out to first base, sending Escobar to third. Lorenzo Cain then grounded out to shortstop, and Escobar scampered home with the game’s first run. Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie set the Giants down in order in the bottom of the inning.

2nd

A missed opportunity

The Giants had the usual Mike Moustakas shift on with an extra infielder on the right side of second base. Moustakas spoiled that strategy with a single to left field. Omar Infante drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch as Moustakas was running. Salvador Perez then hit a ball to left that Travis Ishikawa made look more difficult than it was, and Jarrod Dyson grounded into a double play. The Giants had two singles, but Hunter Pence was caught stealing on a great throw by Perez.

3rd

Guthrie looks very good

Guthrie continued to be extremely effective. He needed just 14 pitches to set down the Giants in order, although one of those “batters” was San Francisco pitcher Tim Hudson. In the Hudson at-bat, Guthrie opened with a 91-mph fastball, then a 77-mph curveball and also threw his cutter and slider. The Royals also went down in order in the top half of the inning.

4th

Hudson also looks very good

Hudson brushed aside the Royals’ Cain, Hosmer and Moustakas on a mere 11 pitches as he appeared to settle into his happy place. Each batter was thrown just one ball during their plate appearance, and Hosmer struck out on an 83-mph splitter. The good news for the Royals was that Guthrie also worked a 1-2-3 inning and the score remained the same as it was from the first inning.

5th

Hit it to Omar

The Royals hit three ground balls, and the Giants infielders gobbled up each one of them in the top of the inning. Hunter Pence was the first San Francisco batter of the bottom of the inning and hit a sizzling liner. But it was right at Infante, the second baseman. Brandon Belt then hit a sizzling liner. But it also was right at Infante. Ishikawa didn’t hit a sizzling liner. But he did ground out to Hosmer at first base.

6th

Here come the runs, little darling

The bats finally made some noise. Escobar singled, and Gordon followed with a double over the head of center fielder Gregor Blanco. Escobar motored home with the game’s second run. After Cain grounded out, Hosmer lined a single to center on the 11th pitch of his at-bat. That proved to be a big run. Brandon Crawford singled for the Giants, and Michael Morse doubled him home. Kelvin Herrera entered and walked Blanco. But three ground-outs got just one run in.

7th

Giants left in Finnegan’s wake

With two outs, Dyson singled and Herrera stepped to the plate. Wait, what? Yep, Herrera’s first major-league at-bat came in the World Series. It was a short one: he struck out on three pitches. Herrera opened the Giants’ half by walking Pence. Belt worked a 3-2 count but struck out. Manager Ned Yost summoned rookie Brandon Finnegan, who became the first player ever to appear in the College World Series and the World Series. He got a flyout and strikeout.

8th

Nothing new here: Davis dominates

Sergio Romo, who ended the seventh inning by striking out Herrera, opened the inning with a strikeout of Escobar. Former Royal Jeremy Affeldt entered and retired Gordon and Cain. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Wade Davis did to the Giants what he’s done to nearly every opponent this season: show no mercy. Davis struck out two San Francisco batters in a perfect inning.

9th

Holland slams the door

The Giants had to be pleased with who was coming to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning: Posey, Sandoval and Pence. But Royals closer Greg Holland slammed the door shut on a mere eight pitches. Posey flied out to Gordon in left, while Sandoval and Pence both grounded back to Holland, who snared both balls and threw to Hosmer each time. Just like tha,t the Royals were two victories away from winning the World Series.

This story was originally published October 24, 2014 at 11:26 PM with the headline "The story of the World Series game three."