Billy "Country Breakfast" Butler Delivers in Game Two, Because That's What Speed Do

For one night, though, his penchant to still deliver the line drive single came up at the exact right time, in the biggest moments. Butler’s first hit came in the first, after a Gregor Blanco home run to lead off the game put Kansas City into a nervous position right away. It drove in Lorenzo Cain to immediately even the score.

Bigger, though, was his turn in the 6th inning. In a tight game at 2-2 to start the inning, the Royals put runners on first and second. There was legitimate buzz and concern in the press box over whether Ned Yost-lord of the sacrifice bunt–would ask Butler to lay one down. The concern, of course, was a double play given Butler’s penchant for hitting into them. Not blessed with what you might call speed, a ground ball at an infielder would kill the rally.

Of course, Butler has never sacrifice bunted in his career. He’s a paid professional hitter. And he did what he is paid to do.

After getting into a favorable 2-0 count, Butler said “the last thing he wants to do is put another guy on there, so I knew he was going to attack with a fastball. It worked out and I hit it hard.”

The inning opened up after that–Salvador Perez hit a double, then Omar Infante hit a home run into the left field bullpen off Hunter Strickland, setting off some temporary sparks–but none of that big inning wouldn’t have happened if Country Breakfast didn’t do his thing.

Butler will likely have to sit for much of the next three games in San Francisco (unless Ned Yost gets a hair up his butt and decides to see if he can miss balls in right field as elegantly as Nori Aoki). On this night, though, he did his best to insure that he will get a chance to bat again in Kansas City in six days.

[photo via USA Today Sports Images]