Mike Moustakas watches his home run leave the park in the 11th inning (photo/MLB)

Mike Moustakas watches his home run leave the park in the 11th inning (photo/MLB)

Mike Moustakas homered to start the 11th inning, and Greg Holland closed it for the Royals who grabbed a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the AL Division Series opener Thursday night.

The Royals have played 23 innings of postseason baseball and are 2-0.

Moustakas hit the first extra-inning homer in postseason history for the Royals, off former Cardinal Fernando Salas.
Jason Vargas and seven relievers held the Angels to four hits on the night.  Two of those were solo homers off Vargas.  One by Chris Iannetta in the third and the other by David Freese in the fifth.  Freese continues to come up big in postseason play…something we’re used to seeing here in Missouri.

Follow me @Missourisports for Game 2 of the Royals-Angels and Game 1 for Cardinals-Dodgers

Follow me @Missourisports for Game 2 of the Royals-Angels and Game 1 for Cardinals-Dodgers

Alcides Escobar had an RBI double for the Royals in the third and Omar Infante hit a sac fly in the fifth.  Each time, the Angels answered to tie the game.

The Royals defense was outstanding with Lorenzo Cain and Nori Aoki both making a couple of spectacular catches in the outfield to take away extra base hits.

Kelvin Herrera faced one batter in the seventh and left with a strained forearm.  His status for the rest of the series is unknown.

Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Friday night at 8:37 CT.  The Angels will start 16-game winner Matt Shoemaker and the Royals will come back with rookie Yordano Ventura, who pitched in Tuesday’s Wild Card game.