Royals 3, Giants 2: Alcides Escobar went 2-for-4 and scored twice as visiting Kansas City edged San Francisco to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series.

Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer recorded RBI hits as the Royals won their second straight game after losing the opener. Wade Davis struck out two in a flawless eighth and Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his 27th consecutive save, including seven straight in the postseason.

Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie (1-0) was charged with two runs and four hits in five-plus innings before four relievers combined for four hitless frames. San Francisco's Tim Hudson (0-1) made his first World Series start at age 39, allowing three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Escobar led off with a double to left field on the game's first pitch and moved around on two groundouts, with the latter by Lorenzo Cain opening the scoring. Hudson retired 13 straight batters before Escobar singled in the sixth and scored on a double to deep center by Gordon, who came home later in the inning when Hosmer singled off reliever Javier Lopez.

Pinch-hitter Michael Morse’s RBI double in the bottom of the frame got San Francisco on the board - and finished Guthrie’s night. Morse scored later in the inning on Buster Posey’s groundout, but the Giants didn’t advance a runner past first base over the final three frames and went down quietly against both Davis and Holland.

GAME NOTEBOOK: With the series switching to spacious AT&T Park, Royals manager Ned Yost started Jarrod Dyson in center field, moved Cain to right and benched usual RF Nori Aoki. … Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval went 0-for-4 to halt his streak of reaching base in 25 consecutive postseason games, tied for third all-time with Baltimore’s Boog Powell (1966-71). … Gordon’s double is his lone hit in 11 World Series at-bats.