KANSAS CITY -- What better to warm a Kansas City baseball fan's heart on a chill, windy, overcast afternoon than a satisfying Royals victory?All of the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day at home is a nice touch but, really, there's nothing better for Royals fans, who have been waiting decades for October baseball, with the hint of future glory in the hopeful days of April.That's what a full house of 40,103 got on Friday with a 7-5 victory over the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Never mind those sour notes of the first two games at Detroit, this was a rhapsody in blue. 
The win featured three hits each by newcomers Nori Aoki and Omar Infante plus a three-run double by old reliable Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain's two-run single.Day One at home immediately had the blue-clad fans groaning and, just a few minutes later, grinning.The White Sox pounced on Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie for two hits, Adam Eaton's single and Marcus Semien's double, and they pushed home one run on Jose Abreu's sacrifice fly. But that was all.It turned out that the Royals' first inning was much more productive -- three runs worth, all on Gordon's bases-clearing double. Going against right-hander Erick Johnson, the first three batters reached base -- Aoki and Infante each singled, and Eric Hosmer was struck by a pitch.Billy Butler popped out to center field, but Gordon sent a long drive to right-center that carried just over the glove of pursuing right fielder Avisail Garcia. No hesitation -- all three runners raced across the plate for a 3-1 lead.Faced with this deficit, the White Sox got feisty in the second, Alexei Ramirez trying to score on Tyler Flowers' two-out double to left field. But a smooth Gordon-to-Alcides Escobar-to-Salvador Perez connection nailed Ramirez at the plate. It was Gordon's second outfield assist in three games.And promptly the Royals went up, 4-1, in their half as Cain singled, moved up on a groundout and scored on Infante's floating single to left.The White Sox got a run back in the fifth after loading the bases. Flowers, who started the commotion with a single, scored on Conor Gillaspie's sacrifice fly.However, by the end of the fifth, the Royals had a five-run lead. Two walks and Perez's single loaded the bases, and Johnson's wild pitch accounted for a run. Cain slapped a single off second baseman Semien's glove and two more runs scored. That made it 7-2 and Johnson was soon out of the game.So, too, was Guthrie in the sixth after the White Sox loaded the bases with two out. Kelvin Herrera, another right-hander, relieved him and Eaton lined a two-run single into left field before Semien looked at strike three.The Royals' first-ever instant replay challenge was filed, unsuccessfully, by manager Ned Yost in the seventh inning, Gillaspie led off with a single off reliever Francisley Bueno and Abreu was ruled safe as third baseman Mike Moustakas grabbed his tap and threw low to Hosmer at first. Umpire Ted Barrett ruled that the throw drew Hosmer off the bag and a video review confirmed the call.Abreu was safe on an error and Gillaspie scored later in the inning on a groundout.Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
The win featured three hits each by newcomers Nori Aoki and Omar Infante plus a three-run double by old reliable Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain's two-run single.Day One at home immediately had the blue-clad fans groaning and, just a few minutes later, grinning.The White Sox pounced on Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie for two hits, Adam Eaton's single and Marcus Semien's double, and they pushed home one run on Jose Abreu's sacrifice fly. But that was all.It turned out that the Royals' first inning was much more productive -- three runs worth, all on Gordon's bases-clearing double. Going against right-hander Erick Johnson, the first three batters reached base -- Aoki and Infante each singled, and Eric Hosmer was struck by a pitch.Billy Butler popped out to center field, but Gordon sent a long drive to right-center that carried just over the glove of pursuing right fielder Avisail Garcia. No hesitation -- all three runners raced across the plate for a 3-1 lead.Faced with this deficit, the White Sox got feisty in the second, Alexei Ramirez trying to score on Tyler Flowers' two-out double to left field. But a smooth Gordon-to-Alcides Escobar-to-Salvador Perez connection nailed Ramirez at the plate. It was Gordon's second outfield assist in three games.And promptly the Royals went up, 4-1, in their half as Cain singled, moved up on a groundout and scored on Infante's floating single to left.The White Sox got a run back in the fifth after loading the bases. Flowers, who started the commotion with a single, scored on Conor Gillaspie's sacrifice fly.However, by the end of the fifth, the Royals had a five-run lead. Two walks and Perez's single loaded the bases, and Johnson's wild pitch accounted for a run. Cain slapped a single off second baseman Semien's glove and two more runs scored. That made it 7-2 and Johnson was soon out of the game.So, too, was Guthrie in the sixth after the White Sox loaded the bases with two out. Kelvin Herrera, another right-hander, relieved him and Eaton lined a two-run single into left field before Semien looked at strike three.The Royals' first-ever instant replay challenge was filed, unsuccessfully, by manager Ned Yost in the seventh inning, Gillaspie led off with a single off reliever Francisley Bueno and Abreu was ruled safe as third baseman Mike Moustakas grabbed his tap and threw low to Hosmer at first. Umpire Ted Barrett ruled that the throw drew Hosmer off the bag and a video review confirmed the call.Abreu was safe on an error and Gillaspie scored later in the inning on a groundout.Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
