Mark Guthrie did exactly what a veteran postseason arm is supposed to do: shut out the noise, hit the edges, and keep his team moving forward.
The left-hander silenced a packed RFK Stadium crowd on Thursday night, tossing 7.1 innings of one-run ball as the Kansas City Royals beat the Washington Senators 6–3 in Game 3 of the World Series. With the win, the Royals take a commanding 3-0 series lead and stand one victory away from their first title.
“We’re not taking anything for granted,” said Guthrie, who scattered seven hits and struck out six. “But this is where we wanted to be.”
Kansas City’s offense broke through late, turning a 1-1 tie into a runaway. Jim Thome, who homered in Game 1 and Game 2, stayed hot with a go-ahead solo shot in the 7th, followed by a two-run double from Rick Wilkins and an RBI single from Orlando Merced that capped a four-run frame.
Thome would add a double in the 8th for good measure. It’s his 5th home run of the postseason and his second in as many games.
Meanwhile, the Senators’ offense was again heavy on base hits, light on damage. They racked up 11 hits—but only one extra-base hit until Rafael Palmeiro launched a two-run homer in the 9th off reliever Rick Reed. It was too little, too late.
“We had traffic all night, but we didn’t capitalize,” said Senators skipper Alexander Cumana. “That’s been the story.”
Alex Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a triple, and Felix Jose added two doubles for Washington. But the heart of the lineup left runners stranded, and starter Erik Hanson struggled late, giving up six earned runs over 7.2 innings.
With the win, Kansas City improves to 10–3 in the postseason and continues to show balance on both sides of the ball. If they win Game 4, they’ll clinch the Doubleday title on enemy turf.
BOXSCORE HIGHLIGHTS
Kansas City Royals – 6 Runs, 8 Hits, 0 Errors
- Jim Thome: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2B, RBI
- Rick Wilkins: 2-run double (7th)
- Mark Guthrie: 7.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 6 K (W, 3-1)
- Royals lead series 3–0
Washington Senators – 3 Runs, 11 Hits, 0 Errors
- Alex Rodriguez: 3-for-5, triple
- Rafael Palmeiro: 2-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI
- Felix Jose: 2 doubles
- Erik Hanson: 7.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 8 K (L, 0-2)
Game 4 is set for Friday night, with Rheal Cormier slated to start for the Royals and John Burkett hoping to keep Washington alive.