Pence right in the middle of things, as always, as Giants surge past KC to even World Series
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
His swings, shouts and sliding catch all done, Hunter Pence shuttled from one postgame TV interview to another outside the San Francisco dugout, bumping through a crush of people with every step.
At last, he wound up standing smack in the center of a giant World Series logo. A fitting spot, for sure.
With eyes wide open and tongue hanging out, the quirky player who seems to be a perfect fit for a quirky ballpark rallied his team and their fans, sending the Giants past the Kansas City Royals 11-4 Saturday to even the Series at two games apiece.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"I mean, he's the guy that's a vocal leader on the team, and he gets guys fired up," rookie second baseman Joe Panik said.
"And with his play, he's all-out and gives everything he's got. It's spectacular to watch. He's fun to watch. He's really big to this team. He's in the middle of a lot of things, offensively and defensively," he said.
All part of Pence's approach.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"I want to give every single game everything I have to win, and the rest, the numbers, will take care of themselves," he said.
"Literally, my goals are to play each game as hard as I can to win," he said.
With a weird throwing motion and an odd setup at the plate, Pence certainly isn't the perfect model for how a Little League coach would teach a youngster to play.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The results can't be debated.
Pence doubled and singled twice, driving in three runs, scoring twice and punctuating his big plays with whoops.
At 7 for 15, his .467 batting average is the best among Series regulars. He leads with five RBIs, too, and has scored four runs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Overall, Pence has reached base safely in 17 straight postseason games, dating to when the Giants won the 2012 championship.
"If I was to say the keys to my success, trying not to do too much sometimes," he said. "I think I had struggles when I was younger, and I still have a lot to learn and get better."