KANSAS CITY, Missouri, (Reuters) – The San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday behind a stunning performance by Madison Bumgarner to win their third World Series title in five seasons.
With the victory, the Giants completed a 4-3 series win over the Royals in the best-of-seven Major League Baseball championship, adding another crown to their brilliant every-other-year pattern of post-season success dating back to 2010.
Michael Morse drove in a pair of runs and ace Bumgarner, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series, came out of the bullpen to carry the Giants to victory with five innings of scoreless relief to add a save to his two previous wins.
“I was just thinking about getting outs until I couldn’t get them anymore,” said Bumgarner. “Fortunately I was able to get some quick innings and I was able to stay in there.
“Right now I’m not tired at all. We just won the World Series it’s hard to be tired right now.”
A raucous Kauffman Stadium and history were in the Kansas City corner ahead of the game as the home team had won the last nine World Series that went to a Game Seven, including the 1985 Royals.
But the Giants, who were hammered 10-0 Tuesday’s Game Six, bounced back to become the first road team to win a World Series Game Seven since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.
San Francisco drew first blood, loading the bases in the top of the second and pushing across a pair of runs on sacrifice flies from Morse and Brandon Crawford.
The Royals answered back in the bottom of second, Billy Butler hammering a leadoff single and racing home on Alex Gordon’s line drive double to the wall in right-center.