08-09-2019, 12:55 AM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - James Shields led thousands of fans in a celebratory chant. Lorenzo Cain pranced along the warning track, cradling his newborn son. Ned Yost finally allowed himself to smile.After nearly three decades spent as one of the games biggest laughingstocks, the Kansas City Royals are once again baseball royalty. They are headed to their first World Series since 1985, finishing a four-game sweep in the AL Championship Series with a 2-1 victory Wednesday over the Baltimore Orioles.In a perfect post-season, the Royals are intent to relish every moment.Its hard to explain, said Cain, whose clutch hits and dramatic catches earned him the series MVP award. Were clicking at the right moment right now.Theres no doubt about that.Now, the Royals will carry an 11-game playoff win streak into the World Series, one shy of the major league record. That includes their first eight this season, something that had never been done in post-season history. Kansas City beat Oakland in a 12-inning wild-card thriller to start things off, then swept the Los Angeles Angels in the Divisional Series.Kansas City will open its first World Series since 1985 on Tuesday against the winner of the NLCS between the Giants and Cardinals. San Francisco leads that series 2-1.Coincidentally, it was the Cardinals who the Royals beat for their only World Series title.Its been an amazing run, Royals outfielder Alex Gordon said. Its nothing better than when you win. Today, same old story: good pitching, good defence and scratch out a win.Same old story for the Orioles, too: Solid pitching, good defence — and just not enough offence. They managed seven hits over the last two games against Kansas City, resulting in the first sweep for the franchise in 21 post-season series.You saw how close the games were, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. Its more a testament to what they did. They were playing great defensively.After holding the Orioles to three hits in Game 3, Jason Vargas and the Royals bullpen held them to four hits Wednesday night. Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis got the game to Greg Holland, who matched Dennis Eckersleys record with his fourth save of the best-of-seven series.Holland got J.J. Hardy to ground out to third base for the final out, and the Royals spilled onto the infield in a wild celebration. Fireworks shot over the crown-shaped scoreboard in centre field, and a blue-clad sellout crowd that included Royals greats George Brett and Brett Saberhagen let out a roar while cars on nearby Interstate 70 honked their horns.Thats what you dream of as a kid, Holland said. Punch your ticket to the World Series, especially before your home crowd. These fans have been waiting a long time. They deserve it.The Orioles, meanwhile, will limp into the off-season after a 96-win season in which they overcame injuries and suspensions to several key players along the way.I think its not what we didnt do. Its more what they did, said the Orioles Ryan Flaherty, whose home run represented their lone run. We played good baseball.Making his first start in nearly two weeks, Vargas shut down the vaunted Orioles lineup in Game 4. The only damage he allowed came in the third inning, when Flaherty went deep.By that point, the Royals had already manufactured a pair of runs.Alcides Escobar singled off Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez to open the game, and Nori Aoki was drilled on the right knee a couple pitches later. Yost then opted to bunt with Cain, one of his hottest hitters, to advance both of the runners.It was a questionable decision so early in the game. But like almost every unorthodox move that Yost has made, it worked out perfectly — for the first sacrifice of Cains career.Eric Hosmer followed with a chopping groundball, and first baseman Steve Pearce went home with it. Escobar slid safely and the ball bounded away from catcher Caleb Joseph, allowing Aoki to follow his teammate home and giving the scrappy, small-ball Royals a 2-0 lead.After that, it was up to their defence and bullpen.Escobar turned a pair of double plays early in the game to help Vargas escape jams, and Gordon made a spectacular catch while crashing into the left-field wall to rob Hardy of extra bases leading off the fifth inning. In the sixth, second baseman Omar Infante was in perfect position to snag Nelson Cruzs line drive and leave runners on the corners.Herrera breezed through the seventh and Davis handled the eighth, just as they have all season, and Holland slammed the door on his fourth save of the series.And set off of a raucous celebration that had been 29 years in the making.In the midst of it all was Yost, the often-criticized Royals manager who has guided a collection of budding young stars to baseballs grandest stage. In doing so, Yost became the first manager in major league history to win his first eight post-season games.Now, just four more wins stand in the way of an improbable World Series championship.These guys are willing to play selfless baseball where all theyre concentrating on is winning the game, Yost said. Nobody is looking to be a hero right now, theyre just looking to win a ballgame, and theyve done a tremendous job.TIGHT GAMESThe Royals win was the 14th decided by one run this post-season, topping the record set in 2011 and tied last year. That includes the last two games of the ALCS.STACKING UPKansas City did well this season against both potential World Series opponents.The Royals swept a three-game series from the visiting Giants in August, beating Madison Bumgarner, Tim Hudson and Tim Lincecum. KC hasnt played at San Francisco since 2005.The Royals went 3-1 against St. Louis, sweeping two games at Busch Stadium and splitting back at Kauffman Stadium.UP NEXTRoyals: The Royals are in the World Series for the third time in franchise history. Its been incredible to watch, said Saberhagen, one of the star pitchers on the 85 title team.Orioles: Its on to the off-season for a team that overcame a series of injuries (Matt Wieters, Manny Machado) and suspensions (Chris Davis) to reach the ALCS. Baltimore still has not made it back to the World Series since 1983. Fjällräven Kånken Rea . Raymond, 31, started 15 regular-season games for the Stamps in 2013, racking up 51 tackles. He also returned two kickoffs for 79 yards including a 61-yarder. Fjällräven Mini Kånken Rea . -- Two nights after losing to the Eastern Conferences worst team, the Phoenix Coyotes handled the best. http://www.fjallravenkankensverige.com/k...gsack.html. Cory Batey and Brandon Vandenburg were each convicted on four charges of aggravated rape, one of attempted aggravated rape and two for aggravated sexual battery. Vandenburg was also found guilty of tampering with evidence as well as an unlawful photography charge. Fjällräven Kånken No 2 .C. -- The Edmonton Oilers used a late-power-play goal to get a hard-fought road victory. Kånken Mini Ryggsäck . Damyean Dotson, 19, Dominic Artis, 19 and Brandon Austin, 18, were suspended after the school received a police report concerning allegations made by a student who said she was assaulted by the players in early March.BERLIN - Patrick Herrmann scored two goals and set up another for Borussia Moenchengladbach to underline its strong start to the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over previously undefeated Hoffenheim on Sunday.Andre Hahn opened the scoring with a volley from Herrmanns cutback after a flowing team move in the 12th minute.Anthony Modeste equalized after a defensive lapse in the 30th, but Hahn returned the earlier favour and crossed for Herrmann to restore Gladbachs lead two minutes later.Herrmann claimed his second in the 52nd, pouncing on the rebound after Hoffenheim goalkeeper spilled Havard Nordtveits free kick.It could have been worse for Hoffenheim as Raffael also hit the crossbar.Moenchengladbach equaled the club record of 17 competitive games unbeaten set by the 1970-71 team coached by Hennes Weisweiler.Of course Im satisfied. It was fully deserved. Now we have 20 points. Its fantastic, said Gladbach coach Lucien Favre, who was celebrated by fans on his 57th birthday. Were not going to rest on it though, but keep working hard to be successful in future.Favres side stayed four points behind leader Bayern Munich, trailing second-placed Wolfsburg on goal difference. Bayern and Gladbach are the only remaining unbeaten sides.Promoted Paderborn moved seventh with a 3-1 win over visiting Hertha BBerlin later Sunday.ddddddddddddMarvin Bakalorz put the home side ahead in the 28th, only for Solomon Kalou to equalize with a powerful header under the crossbar from Marcel Ndjengs cross in the 41st.But Elias Kachunga restored Paderborns lead with a glancing header to Jens Wemmers cross in the 53rd and Alban Mehas long-range strike secured the win in the 76th.Its fun to see how the whole of Paderborn is still in euphoria, Paderborn coach Andre Breitenreiter said.Breitenreiter said the club had learned from Eintracht Braunschweig and Greuther Fuerth, sides which struggled in the Bundesliga after earning promotion in the last couple of seasons.We saw that they had trouble scoring goals and so we reinforced the squad accordingly, Breitenreiter said. I think thats paying off now.Also Sunday, Vladimir Daridas 51st-minute penalty was enough for Freiburg to beat Cologne 1-0 for the visitors first win of the season.Im not looking at the table. Im concentrating only on our team. Well see at the end of the season if its enough, said Freiburg coach Christian Streich, whose side moved into the relegation playoff place, one point above bottom sides Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen.Only goal difference was keeping Dortmund, the 2011 and 2012 champion, above Bremen after 10 games. ' ' '