Pitcher Bret Saberhagen gives the Kansas City Royals their first World Series victory with a complete game 6 – 1 decision in Game 3
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On October 22, 1985 — Pitcher Bret Saberhagen gives the Kansas City Royals their first World Series victory with a complete game 6 – 1 decision in Game 3. The St. Louis Cardinals had won the Series’ first two games, played in Kansas City.
The Royals got back into the series by riding ace Bret Saberhagen to a 6–1 victory against twenty-game winner Joaquín Andújar. Saberhagen flashed messages on the television screen to his pregnant wife who was due to give birth any day. She eventually gave birth on October 26 (in Game 6). The Royals went up 2–0 in the fourth on Lonnie Smith’s two-run double that scored Jim Sundberg and Buddy Biancalana, who had walked and singled, respectively. Royals second baseman Frank White made history by becoming the first second baseman in the history of the World Series to hit in the clean-up spot in the batting order. White came through with a two-run home run off of Andújar in the fifth after George Brett got on base. The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the sixth off of Saberhagen on consecutive singles by Ozzie Smith, Tom Herr, and Jack Clark. The Royals padded their lead in the seventh off of Ricky Horton when Brett drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a balk, then scored on White’s double. Two outs later, White scored on Biancalana’s single to cap the scoring.
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PLAY BY PLAY
ROYALS 1ST: Smith struck out; Wilson singled to left; Wilson
stole second; Brett was walked intentionally; White grounded
into a double play (second to first) [Brett out at second]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Cardinals 0.
CARDINALS 1ST: McGee singled to left; Smith popped to second in
foul territory; McGee stole second; Herr walked; Clark was
called out on strikes while McGee was caught stealing third
(catcher to third); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Cardinals 0.
ROYALS 2ND: Sheridan flied out to center; Sundberg singled to
right; Balboni flied to left; Biancalana flied out to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Cardinals 0.
CARDINALS 2ND: Van Slyke grounded out (third to first);
Pendleton singled to second; Porter flied out to left; Landrum
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals
0, Cardinals 0.
ROYALS 3RD: Saberhagen struck out; Smith singled to center;
Smith was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Wilson
singled to shortstop; Brett singled to right [Wilson to third];
White walked [Brett to second]; Sheridan struck out; 0 R, 3 H, 0
E, 3 LOB. Royals 0, Cardinals 0.
CARDINALS 3RD: Andujar struck out; McGee struck out; Smith
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 0,
Cardinals 0.
ROYALS 4TH: Sundberg walked; Balboni lined to left; Biancalana
singled to pitcher [Sundberg to second]; Saberhagen out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Sundberg to third,
Biancalana to second]; Smith doubled to right [Sundberg scored,
Biancalana scored]; Wilson flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB. Royals 2, Cardinals 0.
CARDINALS 4TH: Herr grounded out (shortstop to first); Clark was
called out on strikes; Van Slyke struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB. Royals 2, Cardinals 0.
ROYALS 5TH: Brett singled to right; White homered [Brett
scored]; CAMPBELL REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Sheridan grounded
out (first unassisted); Sundberg walked; Balboni struck out;
Biancalana struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 4,
Cardinals 0.
CARDINALS 5TH: Pendleton grounded out (second to first); Porter
flied out to center; Landrum singled to right; JORGENSEN BATTED
FOR CAMPBELL; Jorgensen grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 4, Cardinals 0.
ROYALS 6TH: HORTON REPLACED JORGENSEN (PITCHING); Saberhagen
grounded out (shortstop to first); Smith grounded out (shortstop
to first); Wilson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 4,
Cardinals 0.
CARDINALS 6TH: McGee popped to third; Smith singled to center;
Herr singled to right [Smith to second]; Clark singled to center
[Smith scored, Herr to second]; Van Slyke flied to center;
Pendleton lined to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Royals 4,
Cardinals 1.
ROYALS 7TH: Brett walked; Horton balked [Brett to second]; White
doubled to left [Brett scored]; Sheridan grounded out (shortstop
to first); Sundberg lined to pitcher; Balboni was walked
intentionally; Biancalana singled to right [White scored,
Balboni to third, Biancalana to second (on throw to home)];
Saberhagen grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB. Royals 6, Cardinals 1.
CARDINALS 7TH: Porter popped to shortstop; Landrum struck out;
HARPER BATTED FOR HORTON; Harper grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 6, Cardinals 1.
ROYALS 8TH: DAYLEY REPLACED HARPER (PITCHING); Smith struck out;
Wilson was called out on strikes; Brett walked; White popped to
first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 6,
Cardinals 1.
CARDINALS 8TH: JONES REPLACED SMITH (PLAYING LF); McGee grounded
out (second to first); Smith grounded out (third to first); Herr
lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 6, Cardinals 1.
ROYALS 9TH: Sheridan grounded out (shortstop to first); Sundberg
walked; Balboni flied out to right; Biancalana popped to first;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 6, Cardinals 1.
CARDINALS 9TH: Clark struck out; Van Slyke struck out; Pendleton
lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 6, Cardinals 1.
Final Totals R H E LOB
Royals 6 11 0 11
Cardinals 1 6 0 5
Other Resources & Links
Retrosheet.org Boxscore:SLN198510220
BackToBaseball.com Game Playback
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