Major League Baseball

Royals quick to flush blowout loss, ready to take on Giants' Bumgarner

Published Oct. 26, 2014 1:09 a.m. ET

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Royals veteran Raul Ibanez looked around the Royals' clubhouse after the disheartening 11-4 loss to the Giants on Saturday night and said the Royals will be more than ready to come back against tough lefty Madison Bumgarner on Sunday.

"Look, we all knew this was going to be a fight," said Ibanez, who is not on the postseason roster but remains an influential figure in the clubhouse.

"These are two scrappy teams and you kind of figured it would be like this. It's 2-2 and now it's a three-game series. These guys will be ready."

To a man, the Royals said they already had flushed Saturday's blowout.

Added shortstop Alcides Escobar: "I know these guys in the locker room have already put it past us. We start thinking about tomorrow already."

Saturday's affair certainly would merit forgetting.

The Royals scraped together a four-run third, launched by a couple of infield hits, and forged ahead, 4-1.

But starter Jason Vargas simply couldn't give manager Ned Yost what he needed -- a six-inning outing -- for the skipper to get to his three-headed bullpen monster of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland.

Vargas wasn't able to record an out in the fifth and wound up surrendering six hits and three runs.

Watch the Boulevard Royals Live postgame show on FOX Sports Kansas City after every Kansas City Royals postseason game.

"I just didn't get the job done," Vargas said. "It's not how I wanted this to go."

With the abbreviated start, Yost had to create a middle-inning bridge, primarily with left-handers Danny Duffy and Brandon Finnegan, who was one of Friday night's heroes.

But Duffy gave up a walk, a single and a sacrifice fly and the game was tied after five innings, 4-4.

"I just let the first guy get away from me and then I got a ball too much over the plate to (Pablo Sandoval) and he hit it hard," Duffy said. "I didn't do my job. I think if I get us through that inning still with the lead, it's a different game."

Finnegan's line -- one inning, five runs -- will look way worse than it really was. He allowed back-to-back broken-bat hits to start the sixth, and then ground balls started finding holes and shortly thereafter the game got out of hand.

"I just don't think it was a matter of location with me," Finnegan said. "I hit my spots. The ball was moving. It was just one of those days where you can't control broken-bat hits.

"You move on."

Moustakas agreed.

"You know, these guys can't be perfect every time out," Moustakas said. "The other guys on other teams aren't perfect all the time, either. No one's perfect.

"It's a tough game. These things happen. But everyone in here is going to shake it off and bounce back. That's who we are. It's a 2-2 series and now it's who is going to fight to win this thing."

Yost already was looking forward to Sunday night moments after the loss.

"We got our tails whipped today," Yost said. "But you know what? It's 2-2 in the series. It's a phenomenal series. It's exciting. It's fun, and we'll have another great game (Sunday). Looking forward to it."

You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.

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