Ben Zobrist turned on the pitch, and within a few quick moments, the baseball landed among a sea of blue stationed in the left-field stands at Kauffman Stadium.
Gone. A crowd eruption. An early lead.
Six innings later, Alcides Escobar stepped to the plate, and in a much quieter fashion lofted a single into left field. That extended his postseason hitting streak to 10 games.
In a 4-3 Royals win Friday against Toronto — one that clinched their second straight American League Championship Series — the top of the order was in the thick of it.