Game 2: Even-Steven. Now, Off to the Bay Area

There’s something to be said for “the formula,” that combination of base-running speed, lockdown pitching and just enough offense to scratch out a win. Hey: It worked well enough to get Kansas City into the 2014 World Series.

But there’s something to be said for the long ball and offensive fireworks, as well. The Royals pounded out four doubles at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night, then lit up five San Francisco pitchers for five runs in the sixth inning of Game 2 on the way to a 7-2 victory to even the Series at a game apiece. Omar Infante’s 2-run shot into the left-field bullpen highlighted a grueling 32-minute ordeal for the Giants’ pitching staff in the sixth, and Royal relievers closed the door over the next three innings to seal the deal.

 Fans who saw the Giants hammer out a 3-0 first-inning lead in Game 1—more than enough to assure their 7-1 victory in the opener on Tuesday night—were fidgeting in their seats 24 hours later, when Gregor Blanco led off with a home run served up by Royals’ starter Yordano Ventura. From there, the Royals put up a run in the bottom of the first and another in the second to go up a run. When San Francisco tied it up with a run in the fourth, it looked like a bantamweight fight that would go the distance.

Until, that is, the Royals threw a heavyweight’s knockout punch in the sixth. With the victory, Kansas City sends things west for Friday’s Game 3. If the Royals can manage to wrest one of the next three games in California, they’ll bring the series back to Kauffman Stadium for a sixth, and potentially, a seventh game.

And if they can indeed pull that off, it would be Kansas City’s second straight crown in as many World Series appearances—recognizing, of course, the small matter of a 29-year gap between them.