Watch: San Francisco Giants infielder breaks through Kansas City Royals defense to take lead
The San Francisco Giants are slowly inching their way back to the top of the charts and looking motivated to reclaim the lead of the National League West. After all, they are the defending champions of the division.
With a 34-26 record, it's been a fairly inconsistent season for the Giants, who sit in the wild card spot in the National League. They recently swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in their three-game series, but they have dropped games against the likes of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals.
At the moment, they seem to have found their mojo and are on a hot-streak. It was evident in last night's game against the Kansas City Royals that they finished 6-2. Thairo Estrada played a key role and drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the bottom of the sixth to score Austin Slater.
Thairo puts the Giants on top 👏 https://t.co/dySzxSkuEM
"Thairo puts the Giants on top 👏" - SF Giants on NBCS
The San Francisco Giants tacked on three more runs after Estrada's RBI single. With the defeat, the Kansas City Royals sank to 20-40 for the year.
San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals in retrospect
Interleague play between these two teams is few and far between. It was only the 24th game between the two squads. The Royals swept the San Francisco Giants in a two-game regular season series in Kansas City when they last met in 2017.
Perhaps the most famous encounter between the sides was the 2014 World Series. It was an exhilirating series. The Royals pushed the Giants to seven games, but the latter came out on top.
Madison Bumgarner threw a remarkable performance during that year's postseason. He posted a 1.01 ERA in the playoffs, the lowest by any pitcher who has pitched at least 40 innings in the season-closer.
Bumgarner became the only pitcher in history to record two wins, a shutout, and a save in the Fall Classic on his way to becoming the World Series MVP.
The Royals' trip to the World Series didn't come in vain, however, as this lit a fire under the squad. The following year was a revenge season for the Royals. They went on a miraculous run to win their first World Series title in 30 years by outclassing the New York Mets in five games.