KANSAS CITY - On the brink of losing the World Series, the Kansas City Royals arrived home confident they could defeat the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday to force a one-game title showdown.
Yordano Ventura of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants during Game Two of the World Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 22, 2014
The Giants, seeking their third crown in five seasons, carry a 3-2 edge in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final ahead of game six, where Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura starts against Giants' righty Jake Peavy.
"Even though our backs are against the wall, what is so weird about it is it doesn't feel like our backs are against the wall, so that's a pretty good feeling," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
"I think we're going to win. That's the way I feel. I've got that much confidence in our team. I've got that much confidence in Ventura. I just think we're going to go to game seven."
The Giants have scored 15 unanswered runs in winning the past two games while the Royals have gone scoreless over the past 15 innings.
"The key is, I don't care how many runs we score, just score one more run than they do," Yost said. "That's all I look for. I don't care how we do it."
Kansas City's back-to-back defeats came in San Francisco under National League rules requiring pitchers to bat, unlike the American League rules that will be used at Kansas City that see designated hitters replace pitchers at the plate.
For the Royals, that means Japanese outfielder Nori Aoki will return to second in the lineup and designated hitter Billy Butler, the Royals' top playoff batter, will be back in the lineup.
That could mean more base hits and more base runners for the best base-stealing team in the league.
"It's a big boost getting Nori's offense back in there and obviously it's a big boost getting Billy back in there," Yost said. "We all know what Billy does in our lineup. He's a pretty key component to our offensive lineup."
After working for this goal since pre-season training began in February, every player knows what must be done.
"Everybody is going to give everything they have, go out there and fight, knowing that we're a good team with confidence," Ventura said. "The biggest goal is to not leave anything behind, to give everything you have, knowing that that could be the last game. We have all the confidence that we can go out there and win."
- Peavy seeks title repeat -
The Giants feel much the same after winning twice in a row and Peavy takes the mound having helped Boston win last year's World Series crown.
"I can't imagine anything being any sweeter," Peavy said. "That's what you play for, to be in the World Series and to win it. To be the guy that gets the ball with that opportunity, it's a special opportunity.
"Just got to do all I can do to be in the moment, think about executing pitches, to find any way for the San Francisco Giants to win this game,and I promise you I'm going to exhaust every option."
With a blend of veterans and newcomers the Giants are trying to solidify their place as one of baseball's top modern dynasties.
"We're trying to grind this thing out the way we have for what feels like forever now," Peavy said. "We're focused on trying to find a way to win one more game. We know that's not going to be easy. We've got our work cut out for us, but the boys are focused and we believe."
After sweeping Detroit for the 2012 crown and downing Texas in five games in 2010, battling a Royals team that was 8-0 in the playoffs before facing the Giants has been the toughest World Series of the three for San Francisco, manager Bruce Bochy said.
"I think that's fair to say," Bochy said. "When I look at '10 and '12, we just got on the roll in the Series. But these guys (the Royals) were on a roll and they're playing well, so I don't think this has surprised anybody that we're going to game six."
Yost sees a chance to swing the momentum back to the Royals on home turf.
"I think home-field advantage is huge," Yost said. "But you can't think about game seven, even though I've got a real strong sense in my heart that we're going to be in game seven."