KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After the Royals wrapped up another tense 2-1 white-knuckler to take a 3-0 American League Championship Series lead over the Orioles, a Royals official turned to me and said, "Now that's Royals baseball."
Indeed, this has been the formula for most Royals wins this year: Solid starting pitching, a shutdown bullpen, great defense and timely hitting.
It was all there for the nation to see Tuesday, starting with right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, who held the Baltimore Orioles to just one run through five innings.
"You know, Jeremy Guthrie is a pro and a veteran," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He's a guy you knew was going to go out there and hold the fort for you. He was going to go out there and be prepared physically and mentally, and he was going to try to find a way to get us through five or six innings."
Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer thought Guthrie was the key to the game.
"He set the tone," Hosmer said. "We needed a quality start and he gave it to us. That was huge."
Guthrie said he labored.
"Overall, I thought it was a grind," Guthrie said. "I thought they really had good at-bats all night long and I was never really able to get a quick inning until the fifth.
"They made me work for everything. They really did."
Guthrie got through five innings, but needed a whopping 94 pitches to do so.
After that, as has been the case so often this season, the Royals' bullpen cruised from there. The Orioles didn't get a single baserunner over the last four innings.
In fact, the Royals retired the last 16 Orioles in order, and 21 of the last 22.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter respects the KC bullpen.
"I've got a real good feel for (the bullpen) because we have one very similar in terms of talent," he said. "That's one of the reasons we're both playing here.
"... The off-days in the playoffs, which is different from the regular season, make it a little bit easier to continue a pattern (and use the bullpen). And you get a good return for it."
You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.
