The Kansas City Royals edged the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Friday to to take a 2-1 lead in Major League Baseball's 110th World Series.
The Royals won their second straight game in the best-of-seven championship final, with Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer all delivering run-scoring hits.
Starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie pitched five-plus innings of shut-out ball and the bullpen again came up big for the Royals in their first return to the post-season since winning the title in 1985.
Relief pitchers Kelvin Herrera, Brandon Finnegan, Wade Davis and Greg Holland combined to throw four no-hit innings.
Holland finished off by retiring the side in order in the ninth, his seventh save of these playoffs.
The Giants are seeking their third title in five seasons after snapping a 56-year drought in 2010 and winning again in 2012.
Giants pitcher Tim Hudson, making his first World Series start in a career that has included 214 wins, had a rude welcome as Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar smacked his first pitch, a 146km/h fastball, off the base of the outfield wall for a double.
Escobar advanced to third on Alex Gordon's ground out to first and scored on Cain's chopper to shortstop before Hosmer was out at first to end the frame with the Royals up 1-0.
Hudson, at 39, the second-oldest pitcher to make his World Series debut as a starter, worked out of a jam in the second. Mike Moustakas singled and Omar Infante walked with no outs.
After Giants left fielder Travis Ishikawa made a diving catch of a line drive from Salvador Perez, Jarrod Dyson grounded into a double play.
With the Giants unable to break through against Guthrie, the Royals stretched their lead in the sixth, when Escobar singled with one out and scored again on Gordon's double off the centre field wall.
After Cain grounded out, Giants manager Bruce Bochy lifted Hudson for left-handed reliever Javier Lopez with Hosmer coming to the plate.
Hosmer, on the 11th pitch of his at-bat, hit a line drive to centre that eluded Lopez, scoring Gordon for a 3-0 Royals lead.
The Giants responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth.
San Francisco will try to get back on terms on Saturday when they host game four.
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