Yordano Ventura dominant as Royals force a Game 7

By Jake Misener | Oct 29, 2014

Rookie right-hander Yordano Ventura brought triple-digit heat in the seventh inning after being staked to a massive lead early and the Kansas City Royals forced a Game 7, taking down the San Francisco Giants, 10-0, on Tuesday night.

A seven-run second inning, which set a Kansas City franchise postseason record, set the tone early on for the home team, also chasing Giants right-hander Jake Peavy after just 1 1/3 innings of work. By the time the dust settled, the veteran was hit for five earned on six hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.

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The frame began with back-to-back singles by Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez before Mike Moustakas drove in Gordon with a double to make it a 1-0 contest. After a visit to the mound, Peavy seemed to settle down, striking out Omar Infante, but the wheels quickly came off with Alcides Escobar at the dish.

The Royals’ leadoff man hit a ball off the end of the bat with runners at second and third and one out. Brandon Belt, the Giants’ first baseman, fielded the ball, but after getting hung up looking for Perez heading home, failed to record an out even at first as Escobar slid into first to load the bases.

Nori Aoki, who did not start any of the games in San Francisco, followed with an RBI single to left that made it 2-0 Royals, ending the night of Peavy, who was responsible for all three runners. Right-handed deliver Yusmeiro Petit, who had been so dominant in the postseason, entered – and promptly imploded.

The seven-run second set the tone early for the Royals, who will look to win their first title in nearly three decades on Wednesday.

Lorenzo Cain singled on a soft liner to center, plating both Moustakas and Escobar and making it 4-0 Royals. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring himself, along with Aoki, on an RBI double by first baseman Eric Hosmer. A double to the right-center field gap by DH Billy Butler pushed across the seventh – and final – run of the inning, leaving a palpable and audible buzz in Kauffman Stadium.

Kansas City added a run in the third on a Cain ground rule double, in the fifth on an Escobar double that plated Infante, who ran through the stop sign at third before sliding in ahead of Buster Posey‘s tag for the team’s ninth run of the game and the final tally came when Moustakas homered in the bottom of the seventh against Hunter Strickland to make it 10-0.

Ventura was dominant in every sense, although he was wild at times, totaling five walks in his seven shutout innings. He allowed just three base hits, striking out four and lowering his earned run average to 1.46 in the World Series.

Jason Frasor and Tim Collins combined to throw two scoreless innings in relief of the young flamethrower, closing things out for Ned Yost‘s team.

The Royals were a robust 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position in Game 6, while the Giants went 0-for-6, failing to get any type of rhythm going against Ventura.

Escobar, Cain, Hosmer, Perez, Moustakas and Infante all tallied two hits apiece for the Royals, a team that outhit their opponent 15 to 6.