Royals head to World Series after sweeping Orioles in ALCS

[alp227]

Source: Kansas City Star

In the moments after the Royals won the pennant, after their 2-1 victory carried them to a sweep over the Orioles in the American League Championship Series, joy flowed like the fountains beyond this ballpark’s outfield fences.

The last embers of afternoon sunshine still illuminated Kauffman Stadium. The voices of 40,468 revelers merged with a fireworks display. Greg Holland jumped into the arms of catcher Salvador Perez. Lorenzo Cain flung his glove skyward and skipped like a child. In the center of the diamond stood the Kansas City Royals, conquerors of the American League, ready to contend for their first World Series title since 1985.

With their eighth consecutive victory in these playoffs, Kansas City captured the American League crown for the first time since 1985. Thursday marks the 29th anniversary of their last pennant clinch, when Jim Sundberg drove in four runs and Charlie Liebrandt logged more than five innings of relief in the seventh game of the ALCS against Toronto. This year’s version of the Royals opted for their more traditional procedures.

They scored two runs in the first inning without a ball leaving the infield. Alex Gordon patrolled left field like a spider with an all-encompassing web. He crashed into a chain-link fence for a fifth-inning out and rose to a packed stadium chanting his name.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article2835511.html

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Most likely, the Royals shall face the team on my avatar as the Giants lead the series 2-1 and play today and tomorrow in SF.

And now: Time to party like it's 1985!

(Shame on Jessie J for ripping off this song in "Bang Bang" though!)

See also: Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1985

[GGJohn]

1. Congrats to the KC Royals.

Now we just have to wait to see who they play, SF Giants? STL Cardinals?

[lastlib]

5. If it's StLou, it'll be the grudge match of the century!

[tazkcmo]

11. Oh yes

Fans in both cities are salivating for that re-match.

[Capt.Rocky300]

2. Well, no need to watch it now that I'm home. Looks like I recorded it for nothing.

[aggiesal]

3. Don't you just hate when ...

people don't put spoiler alerts?

My family knows, that I never watch sporting events live.
I TiVO every sporting event I watch.

If they send me a spoiler message, they hear about it for months.

[Capt.Rocky300]

7. Yes I do.

[Maineman]

6. It is still worth watching. Absolutely.

I have been a Royals fan since before George Brett played his first major league game.

[Capt.Rocky300]

8. It's still on the tivo machine.........

I'll watch it after the Giants/Cards game. I've never been a Royals fan but I love these kids. What great spirit. If the Cards go to the Series I will certainly root for the Royals.

[lastlib]

4. YES WE KAN-SAS CITY!!!

[pamela]

9. Congratulations from this life-long Orioles fan.

[tazkcmo]

12. And from a KC fan

Thanks for being classy!

[FailureToCommunicate]

10. I guess they WILL be...

Royals!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MmBRPWD4NRk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[yellowcanine]

13. Once again, pitching and small ball beats power hitting.

Orioles - 211 HRs in 2014, most in MLB
Royals - 95 HRs in 2014, fewest in MLB

Other factors, sure, but in postseason play, bet on the team which can consistently get on base and advance runners without a lot of hits (AKA small ball).

[Sky Masterson]

14. Hollywood couldn't have told a better story than what my Royals pulled off!

This town was full of joyous tears last night.
I watched the Cardinals play the Giants last night and every time I saw a Cardinal miss a catch or drop a ball I thought, A Royal would have caught that, held on to it. There is something happening with the boys in blue right now. I barely remember a time when Kansas city was as excited and as happy as they are right now.
This is history in the making, The stuff of magic!

[BobbyBoring]

15. I'm really bummed....

But the Royals put on quite a show. Defense was unbelievable!
Maybe next year for the Os.

[KamaAina]

16. Well, at least Missouri got one team in the Series

[Ampersand Unicode]

17. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, I hope they win

...especially if it's against the "other" rival Cardinals. I can tell you personally how good it feels to break a losing streak.

(Now, about those Cubs...)

I wouldn't even mind if they play that awful Lorde song. Normally I can't stand it, and think she (like 99.999% of Millennial "artists&quot is overhyped (am I in the minority?), but I'd be willing to make an exception.

(I had heard somewhere that she did actually write the song about George Brett.)