The Kansas City Royals have won two World Series, in 1985 and in 2015.
In addition to those championships, the Royals also lost the 1980 Fall Classic to the Philadelphia Phillies and the 2014 Series to the San Francisco Giants.
Here is a rundown of each of those Royals teams that won American League pennants, and the World Series they appeared in.
1980 World Series – Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals (4 games to 2)
After banging their heads against a New York wall throughout the late 1970s, the Royals finally took down the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, in a sweep, no less.
Meanwhile, the Phillies squeaked by the Houston Astros in a 5-game NLCS.
The home team held serve in the first four games of the World Series — the Phillies took the first two, the Royals, the second two.
But the Phillies took the third game in K.C. (Game 5), then cruised to a 4-1 win in Game 6.
1985 World Series – Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals (4 games 3)
The Royals won a weak A.L. West, then edged past the Toronto Blue Jays in a 7-game ALCS.
That was just a prelude to a classic World Series, where K.C. met the Cardinals, fresh off a 6-game NLCS with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cards cruised to a 3-1 lead in the Fall Classic, with only a Bret Saberhagen gem in Game 3 preventing the sweep. With Game 5 at home at Busch Stadium, the championship was within reach.
Instead, the Royals broke open a 1-1 game with three runs in the second inning and never looked back.
Game 6 in Kansas City was one for the ages, with the Cards scratching out a run in the top of the eighth but the bats otherwise going silent.
In the bottom of the ninth, though, Jorge Orta legged out a leadoff single…at least according to first base umpire Don Denkinger. Most of the rest of the world disagreed, but the Royals used the call as a springboard to a two-run, walk-off rally.
Game 7 was a snooze-fest, with the Royals scoring early and romping to an 11-0 win…and the title.
2014 World Series – San Francisco Giants over Kansas City Royals (4 games 3)
At the end of a lengthy run of losing seasons, the Royals posted their second straight winning season in 2014, then surprised the baseball world by rolling all the way to the World Series. They had to beat the A’s, Angels, and Orioles in the playoffs to get there.
Meanwhile, the Giants made it back the World Series for the third time in five seasons by taking care of the Pirates, Nationals, and Cardinals in the National League.
The Series was a seesaw battle, with the Giants taking Game 1, the Royals Games 2 and 3, the Giants Games 4 and 5, and Royals Game 6 to leave the teams knotted at three games apiece.
Though the tilt was tight overall, only one of those contests (Game 3) was decided by fewer than five runs.
Game 7 was close, but all five runs were scored before the bottom of the fourth inning. Alex Gordon did manage a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Royals some hope.
Alas, Madison Bumgarner coaxed a foul pop out from Salvador Perez to preserve the 3-2 victory and hand the Giants their third title of the decade.
2015 World Series – Kansas City Royals over New York Mets (4 games 1)
After coming so close to a title in 2014, the Royals would not be denied in 2015.
They took the AL Central flag, then downed the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays to punch their ticket for a return to the Fall Classic.
In the National League, the Mets took the East before squeaking past the Dodgers and sweeping the Cubs in the NLCS.
The Royals took Game 1 of the World Series, a 14-inning marathon, on a walk-off sacrifice fly from Eric Hosmer.
Game 2 was a 7-1 romp for the Royals, and then the Mets returned the favor in Game 3 — they won 9-3 back home at Citi Field.
The Royals took Game 4 by a score of 5-3 on the strength of a two-run eighth inning rally.
Facing elimination at home, the Mets took a 2-0 lead to the top of the ninth in Game 5, but KC rallied for two runs.
The score stayed knotted until the top of the 14th, when the Royals erupted for five runs.
Reliever Wade Davis allowed two Mets to reach in the bottom of the frame, but he also struck out three batters without allowing a run as the Royals won their second title.
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