CHICAGO _ Six-hundred and ninety days before Saturday night, James Shields started Game 1 of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium.
The night marked a watershed moment in the history of baseball in Kansas City, the culmination of the long, slow burn of a rebuild and the berth of a new golden age. Shield allowed five earned runs in three innings. The Royals lost to the San Francisco Giants in seven games. Shields departed after the season via free agency.
And in his place, came a right-hander from the Dominican Republic named Edinson Volquez, who would start Game 1 of the World Series in 2015 and help the Royals finish the job against the New York Mets in five games. If you believe in baseball symmetry, well, there was something folksy about Saturday night here at U.S. Cellular Field, as Shields and Volquez _ the last two men to start Game 1 of the World Series for the American League _ went toe to toe on the south side of Chicago.
And the most amazing part of all? How irrelevant the matchup felt.
In a 6-5 victory over the White Sox, a creaky Volquez allowed four earned runs and nine hits in five innings, while a serviceable Shields yielded three runs across six. In the end, it was just a footnote.
The Royals would mount a comeback when Shields' pitch count surpassed 100 pitches, putting up three runs during a decisive seventh inning. Whit Merrifield, who drew the start at second base, delivered a two-run double to left-center field, giving Kansas City a 5-4 lead. Kendrys Morales added an RBI that stood up as the decisive run when closer Wade Davis allowed a run during a tense ninth inning.
Davis ended the final threat by striking out Justin Morneau with the game on the line, recording his 23rd save. The Royals evened the series at one game apiece.
Royals manager Ned Yost had turned the game over to his bullpen in the late innings _ though, not before crafting a creative plan. With the heart of the White Sox order due up in the seventh, Yost turned to right-hander Kelvin Herrera, his usual eighth-inning guy.
Herrera mowed through the inning, which set the stage for the struggling Joakim Soria to work the eighth. On Friday, Yost had outlined a plan to give Soria more rest between appearances, citing his effectiveness when used on two or three days of rest. On Saturday, Soria pitched on two days' rest and appeared razor sharp. He needed just 11 pitches to navigate the inning, recording two strikeouts.
The Royals (73-68) remained four games out of the second American League wild-card race, looking up at five teams in the standings.
As the night began, first baseman Eric Hosmer and left fielder Alex Gordon greeted Shields with homers in the first and fourth innings, giving the Royals momentary leads of 2-0 and 3-1. Hosmer's blast was a skyscraper to deep center field, while Gordon's landed well up in the bleachers in deep right field.
Volquez, however, hit a wall in the third, allowing four runs over the next three frames before departing after a two-run fifth. Volquez threw just 85 pitches. Yost was ready to turn to left-hander Matt Strahm in the sixth.
Strahm recorded two outs before Yost summoned rookie right-hander Kevin McCarthy. One strikeout later, the inning was over. And McCarthy earned the win for his troubles.
