Royals even World Series as benches clear in 7-2 victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tempers flared. The benches cleared. A fight nearly broke out. And a World Series with little verve finally got the jolt it needed Wednesday.

Omar Infante’s two-run home run set off the extracurricular activities and capped a massive sixth inning for the Kansas City Royals, who avenged a Game 1 defeat with a 7-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants in front of a raucous 40,446 at Kauffman Stadium.

Giants reliever Hunter Strickland, who allowed a two-run double to Salvador Perez a batter before Infante, exchanged words with Perez as he rounded the bases on the home run. While unclear who or what prompted the jawing, it grew from stares and words to Strickland challenging Perez to meet him on the mound. Perez declined the invitation, though players from both teams spilled onto the field in case further displays of misplaced manliness manifested themselves.

Alas, cooler heads prevailed, and the Royals simply settled for their biggest inning this postseason. Starter Jake Peavy allowed a leadoff single to Lorenzo Cain and walked Eric Hosmer, prompting manager Bruce Bochy to make a flurry of pitching changes, most of which didn’t work.

Billy Butler broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI single off Jean Machi. In came Javier Lopez, who retired Alex Gordon, before yielding to Strickland, the rookie whose emergence came after spending nearly all season in the minor leagues. Bochy fell in love with him because of his 100-mph fastball – one the Royals proved can be turned on when he isn’t commanding his breaking ball.

After a Strickland wild pitch on a slider, Perez pummeled a fastball to left-center field and plated a pair. Then came Infante’s home run and the prelude to a possible donnybrook.

While it never materialized, it set up Kansas City’s bullpen to do what Kansas City’s bullpen does. Kelvin Herrera, who got the win after replacing starter Yordano Ventura in the sixth, pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and his Nastier Boys penmates Wade Davis and Greg Holland put up zeroes in the eighth and ninth in their first work in six days.

Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum, who hadn’t appeared in the postseason, pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning before leaving with two outs in the eighth because of an apparent injury.

The Giants get an off day Thursday to regroup before the series heads to San Francisco for the next three games. And Kansas City gets to bask in evening the series and booking its first World Series win since 1985.