The San Francisco Giants piled up runs relentlessly in an 11-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday to level the 110th World Series at two games apiece.
With the win, the Giants gained some much-needed breathing room, ensuring that Major League Baseball's best-of-seven championship showcase will return to Kansas City for game six on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).
Before then, the Giants will have a chance to regain the Series lead at home when they host game five on Sunday (Monday AEST).
The Royals, back in the post-season for the first time since they won their only World Series crown in 1985, had won two games straight to put the Giants under pressure.
But the Giants, seeking their third title in five years after snapping a 56-year title drought in 2010 and winning again in 2012, insisted there was no reason to panic.
They showed no sign of doing so as they remorselessly pounded out 16 hits - 13 of them singles.
Third baseman Pablo Sandoval knocked in the go-ahead runs with a single in the sixth inning, and the Giants added three more runs in the sixth and four in the seventh.
Joe Panik hit two of their three doubles, driving in two runs. Hunter Pence had a double among his three hits for three runs-batted-in.
Gregor Blanco singled twice and scored three times. "Everybody did something to contribute," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Sandoval delivered his bases-loaded hit to knock in the go-ahead runs, and Brandon Belt added an RBI single to make it 7-4.
"He's a warrior," Panik said of Sandoval, the burly slugger who was feeling under the weather before the game.
"If you didn't know he was sick, you couldn't tell," Panik said. "For him to come out the way he did was huge for us because he's one of the main guys on this team."
In the seventh, Brandon Crawford's leadoff single sparked a four-run burst that put the game out of reach.
Blanco drove in a run with a single, then Panik's second double of the night to centre field scored two and Pence doubled down the line to put the hosts up 11-4.
"We got our tails whipped today, but it's game four of the World Series, we're tied 2-2 - how much more fun can that be?" Yost said. "This is a phenomenal series. It's exciting. It's fun."
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