Royals return to World Series, beat Blue Jays in ALCS Game 6

Royals return to World Series, beat Blue Jays in ALCS Game 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain raced in from the outfield about as fast as he had raced around the bases, hurrying to join the rest of the Kansas City Royals as they streamed onto the diamond in celebration.

There was Eric Hosmer, hugging anyone in sight. And curmudgeonly manager Ned Yost, finally cracking a smile. And stoic closer Wade Davis, who let out a fierce roar Friday night when the Royals recorded the final out in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series, a white-knuckle, 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

A win that returned the Royals to the World Series.

'We came in with one goal,' Cain said with a smile, 'and that was to get back.'

The Royals open the World Series on Tuesday night against the New York Mets, trying to do one win better than they did last year. In their first trip to the Fall Classic in 29 years, they lost in Game 7 to the San Francisco Giants with the tying run standing 90 feet from home.

It was a heartbreaking defeat that remained in the back of the Royals’ minds all season, and ultimately spurred their return to the game’s biggest stage. “Our guys, from the first day of spring training, their focus was to get back to the World Series,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, “and they did it.”

Jose Bautista’s second homer of the game, a two-run shot in the top of the eighth, lifted Toronto into a 3-3 tie. Then the weather hit, a 45-minute rain delay that sent fans scurrying for the concourses and threatened to put a damper on what had been a festive night for KC.

After the delay, Cain calmly worked a leadoff walk from Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, and Hosmer followed with a clean single that Bautista fielded down the right-field line.

Rather than hit the cutoff man, Bautista threw to second. That gave the speedy Cain, just enough time to beat the relay throw from second base with a textbook slide that ignited a sellout crowd.