This Date In Royals History--1985 Edition: October 10
The Royals have a day off as the ALCS heads to Kansas City.
The Royals and Blue Jays had an off day on Thursday after they traveled back to Kansas City for Game Three of the ALCS. Toronto had a 2-0 lead in the series.
Kansas City manager Dick Howser didn’t seem worried about the hole the Royals were in.
“I’ve seen a lot of things happen. I saw the ‘60 Yankees get beat in the Series. They outscored Pittsburgh by 30 runs. It happened. I’ve seen us get beat three in a row in Texas and come back and win 13 of 15. We were 1-10 versus Seattle. I can’t explain it. These are things that happen. I’ve been with a club that lost two in a row and beat a good Dodger club in the Series. It can happen. What we have to do is win one in a row. We’ve got our best pitcher going. If we’re gonna get this started, he’s the guy I want out there.”--Howser, quoted by Gary Bedore, Lawrence Journal-World, October 11, 1985
Kansas City planned to send Bret Saberhagen to the mound to get them back in the series. Toronto planned to counter with veteran Doyle Alexander. Saberhagen had lost his only start against the Blue Jays in the regular season, but that was in April. Since then, he had become a 20–game winner.
1985 baseball news: In Los Angeles, the Dodgers matched Toronto’s 2-0 series lead, defeating St. Louis in an 8-2 romp. The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the third, but the Dodgers responded with three in the bottom of the inning, with the first run driven in by starting pitcher Orel Hershiser, who singled to score Steve Sax. In the fourth, Greg Brock extended the lead with a two-run homer off Cardinals starter Joaquin Andujar. Hershiser pitched a complete game, holding St. Louis to eight hits. The two teams would travel to St. Louis for the next three games, following a day off on Friday.
Today’s birthdays: Garrett Hampson (1994), Collin Snider (1995)