Royals look to bounce back but rue missed opportunity

By Larry Fine

By Larry Fine KANSAS CITY Missouri (Reuters) - The Cinderella Kansas City Royals tasted defeat for the first time in a fairytale postseason in their World Series opener on Tuesday but stalwart Alex Gordon was unfazed. After reaching the playoffs for the first time in 29 years, the Royals roared through the first eight games in unprecedented fashion before being cut down 7-1 by the visiting San Francisco Giants. "It would have been nice to go 12-0," said Gordon after Kansas City's first loss since Sept. 27. "I mean that would have been pretty cool, but it's not bad to have a major league record of 8-0. "We'll be satisfied with that and move on and start a new streak." Game Two will be played on Wednesday at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium before the best-of-seven series shifts to San Francisco. Royals starter James Shields was outpitched by Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, giving up three runs on five hits in the opening frame with two runs coming on a two-run laser shot of a home run from Hunter Pence. "It's one of those games," said Shields, who has been struggling on the mound and admitted on Monday that he had been dealing with discomfort from a kidney stone he had passed. "I kind of hung a curve ball to (Pablo) Sandoval," he said about an RBI-double that put the Giants on the scoreboard before Pence's shot made it 3-0. "Made a bad pitch to Pence up in the zone and he took advantage of it. I didn't do my job." Shields, like Gordon, said the Royals would not carry over concerns into Game Two. "We have a lot of character in this clubhouse," the Royals pitcher said. One regret heard in the locker room was over the failure to capitalize in the third inning when Mike Moustakas doubled after Omar Infante reached first on an error by shortstop Brandon Crawford to put men on second and third with no outs. Bumgarner struck out Alcides Escobar and Nori Aoki and got Eric Hosmer to ground out to get out of the inning. "It completely changes the whole complexion of the game," designated hitter Billy Butler said about the missed opportunity. "It was just one of those situations where we didn't get it done tonight and that was a game-changer." Gordon agreed. "I think that was a killer right there." Alcides said there was no shame failing against Bumgarner. "A fastball in the 90s, an 86 (mph) cutter and 69 (mph curve) -- that's tough, that's hard," the shortstop said. "And with his (delivery) you can't see the ball well. He's one of the best pitchers in the league." (Editing by Nick Mulvenney)