![]() If I'm a position player, I'm emulating Alex Gordon. A lot of guys look up to him in this clubhouse. "It doesn't surprise me, because I know how hard he works and what kind of regimen he has between games,'' Shields said. 6 slot in the postseason, his teammates didn't have to keep a vigil to know he would bust out at some point. 286 slugging percentage in September, and Yost dropped him to sixth in a reconfigured lineup down the stretch. He finished the year sixth among major league position players with 6.57 Wins Above Replacement, according to. The game featured everything but a rain delay, and in the end there was Gordon, as the figurative last man standing.Īt one point this season, Gordon was on the fringe of American League MVP contention for his all-around contributions to the cause in Kansas City. And the Royals, showing the ultimate in resilience, bounced back after a potentially deflating ninth inning in which they loaded the bases with nobody out and failed to score. Nelson Cruz contributed his obligatory big hit, Royals speedster Jarrod Dyson stole second base only to be called out when his foot slid off the bag, and there was plenty of grousing from both sides about plate umpire Tim Timmons' generous strike zone. You want variety? Baltimore's Alejandro De Aza drove in a run with a 75-foot bloop single in front of second base, and Jonathan Schoop got picked off second base only to luck out when Alcides Escobar's throw struck him in the back on his way to third. The Royals' Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis made enormous contributions with two shutout innings each. After Tillman lasted a mere 4 1/3 innings and Kansas City's James Shields checked out after five, managers Buck Showalter and Ned Yost combined to use 10 relievers. The series opener took 4 hours, 37 minutes to complete, and the two teams combined for 26 hits, 19 strikeouts and 19 runners left on base. The Royals, who've played four extra-inning games in the postseason and won them all, outdid themselves in this one. When Moustakas smacked a two-run shot moments later, it gave the Royals a cushion that allowed them to survive an uncharacteristically shaky outing by closer Greg Holland in the bottom of the 10th. It continued in the bottom of the inning when he ranged into the gap in left center to rob Baltimore's Steve Pearce of an extra-base hit.Īnd after getting picked off first base by Tommy Hunter and having that frightening encounter with Miller, Gordon put his stamp on the proceedings in the 10th. His personal showcase began in the top of the third inning, when he looped a bases-clearing, broken-bat double to right field off Chris Tillman to give Kansas City an early lead. ![]() ![]() Wilson in Kansas City's Division Series-clinching win over the Angels, and he was a one-man band in Game 1 against Baltimore. Gordon provided the big early hit off C.J. The Alex Gordon version 1.0 still has plenty to offer when the the lights are bright and the stakes are at their highest. Nine years after the Royals selected Gordon with the second pick in the draft amid oppressive expectations, Kansas City fans are fine with the realization that he'll never be the second coming off George Brett. To see him get hit in the head and walk to first base like nothing happened, it's unbelievable.'' That just shows you how tough he is and how much character he has. He just wanted to get his helmet and walk to first base, and he would have told the trainers to go back if he could. "I don't think that thought even crossed his mind. ![]() "I honestly don't think for a second Gordo was coming out of that game,'' teammate Mike Moustakas said. But the players and coaches in the Royals' dugout knew if Gordon was physically OK, he was going to shrug off the scare as a minor inconvenience. Many in the crowd of 47,124 wouldn't have been surprised if Gordon took a right turn and headed for the dugout. After Gordon walked slowly to first base, a Royals trainer stood in front of him, waved fingers in his face and performed the usual concussion protocols. With sidearmer Darren O'Day on the mound for the Baltimore Orioles, Gordon crushed an 87-mph fastball over the right-field fence to break a tie and propel the Royals to a draining, thoroughly-entertaining 8-6 victory at Camden Yards on Friday night.īut if a single encounter could define what Gordon means to his team, it came two innings earlier, when he provided a window into his understated brand of Nebraska Cornhusker toughness.īaltimore's Andrew Miller, who's such a challenge to hit it's almost unfair, threw a 94-mph heater up and in that struck Gordon in the back of the neck before ricocheting off his batting helmet. — - BALTIMORE - The Alex Gordon moment that Kansas City Royals fans will treasure from the American League Championship Series opener came in the top of the 10th inning.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |