Lorenzo Cain scored from first base on Eric Hosmer’s eighth-inning single to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 win over Toronto and back into baseball’s World Series.
The Royals, who lost to the San Francisco Giants in seven games in Major League Baseball’s championship showcase last season, will play the New York Mets for the 2015 crown, hosting game one on Tuesday.
Cain scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, racing home on the instructions of third base coach Mike Jirschele after the throw from Blue Jays rightfielder Jose Bautista went to second base.
“I didn’t know what happened, but I just kept going,” said Cain, who beat the relay throw from Toronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki at the plate.
Up 3-2 in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, the Royals pounced early with solo home runs from Ben Zobrist in the first inning and Mike Moustakas in the second.
Alex Rios made it 3-1 with a run-scoring single in the seventh.
But Toronto, who fended off elimination with a game-five win, tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth on Bautista’s second home run of the contest.
With Ben Revere on base, Bautista, who hit 40 home runs in the regular season, belted a Ryan Madson fastball into the left field seats.
The Royals sent Wade Davis to the mound to get the final two outs of the frame, and after a 45-minute rain delay the Royals returned to the field and got the run they needed.
Things got tense for the Royals when Davis returned to the mound for the top of the ninth — despite waiting through the rain delay.
He allowed a leadoff single to Russell Martin, who was replaced by pinch runner Dalton Pompey who promptly stole second and third base with none out.
Davis then walked Kevin Pillar, who stole second, but Davis struck out Dioner Navarro and Revere before inducing Josh Donaldson to ground out to end the game.
“It got pretty bad there pretty quick,” Davis said. “I just kept telling myself ‘We can get out of it. Keep making pitches.'”