Mike Moustakas hits game-winning HR in 11-inning victory
By Jake Misener
Snapping a five-inning hitless streak for his team, Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the top of the 11th inning Thursday night, vaulting the visitors over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3-2.
Angels reliever Fernando Salas delivered the 1-1 change-up to Moustakas, who led off the inning for Kansas City, and wouldn’t get a chance to take it back as the third baseman snapped a hitless night at the dish with the clutch home run that propelled the Royals to its second-straight extra-inning postseason win.
Kansas City’s All-Star closer Greg Holland closed things out in the ninth for the save – his first of the postseason.
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Prior to the blast, neither team had scored since the fifth inning, when both teams plated lone runs. An Omar Infante sacrifice fly gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning, but David Freese quickly responded against Royals starter Jason Vargas with a solo home run into the left-field bullpen. The Kansas City right-hander pitched well, despite the blast, allowing just two earned runs on three hits in six innings of work.
His counterpart, Angels ace Jered Weaver, matched him pitch-for-pitch, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out six and walking two over seven sterling innings of work. Mike Scioscia‘s relievers combined to allow just one hit – the Moustakas home run – in four innings of work, walking two.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the top of the third when Alcides Escobar doubled to left field, scoring Moustakas, who accounted for two of the Royals’ three runs on the night. In the bottom of the inning, Chris Iannetta – in his first career postseason at-bat – hit a towering solo home run, tying the game at 1-1.
The Angels 2-3-4 batters – Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Howie Kendrick – combined to go 0-for-9 with three strikeouts. As a team, Los Angeles went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, while the Royals fared no better, going 0-for-4.