The Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels in Game 2 of their AL Division Series on Friday night, dropping the Angels to 0-2 in the series.
Alex Gordon had an early run-scoring single for the Royals, who lead the best-of-five series 1-0.
Kansas City is trying to stay on a surprising postseason roll after following up its 12-inning wild-card victory over Oakland with a series-opening win at the Big A on Mike Moustakas' 11th-inning homer Thursday night.
Albert Pujols had a tying RBI single in the sixth for the Angels, whose tense fans realized the stakes: Only two teams since 1995 have rallied to win a division series after losing the first two games at home.
Game 3 is Sunday in Kansas City. Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson faces James Shields.
The Royals became the first team to play in three consecutive extra-inning playoff games since the 1980 NL Championship Series between Houston and Philadelphia, which had four straight.
In a matchup of impressive rookie starters, Yordano Ventura pitched five-hit ball for the Royals, and Matt Shoemaker threw six innings of five-hit ball for Los Angeles.
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The Royals had two runners on in the ninth after two walks from Angels closer Huston Street, but David Freese snagged Salvador Perez's grounder to third and stepped on the bag to end the inning.
Jason Frasor easily retired the heart of Los Angeles' order in the ninth, including Mike Trout on a foul pop. Trout was 0 for 3 with a walk, making the AL MVP favorite 0 for 7 so far in his first playoff series.
Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar stretched high to glove an off-target throw and turned a tough double play to end the 10th.
The Angels had the majors' most productive offense in the regular season, but they have been stymied by the Royals' pitching staff.
Kansas City's defense also came up with another huge play in the eighth after C.J. Cron's leadoff double against Wade Davis. Pinch-runner Collin Cowgill decided to test the arm of center fielder Jarrod Dyson, who had just entered the game — and Dyson threw him out at third after catching Chris Iannetta's fly to left-center.
Ventura's fastball was clocked at 102 mph in the second inning, and he was still hitting triple digits in the seventh. He escaped jams twice in the late innings, stranding three runners.
Shoemaker also was sharp in his playoff debut after a breakthrough 16-win regular season. The Angels' 28-year-old rookie had six strikeouts while pitching for the first time since straining an oblique muscle on Sept. 15.
The Royals took an early lead for the second straight night when Eric Hosmer singled, advanced on right fielder Kole Calhoun's error and scored on Gordon's single in the second inning.
After Ventura retired 10 straight in the early innings, the Angels tied it in the sixth with a two-out rally. After Calhoun singled and Trout walked, Pujols drove a 100 mph fastball into right for the first hit of his first postseason with Los Angeles.
Royals catcher Salvador Perez was hit in the head by Josh Hamilton's backswing in the fifth inning. Perez, the hero of Kansas City's wild-card victory over Oakland, stayed in the game after a long moment on the ground.
