Moustakas doesn't second-guess himself on bunt

ANAHEIM -- Standing on third base with no outs and a man on first in the bottom of the eighth, Mike Moustakas went through every bunt scenario he could think of.

If Kole Calhoun popped a bunt up to him, he thought, maybe the best play would be to let the ball drop and turn a double play.

"When I knew that he was going to bunt, I thought about it for a second, and then I realized that it's tough to hit off of Wade Davis," Moustakas said. "I'd rather have a runner on first and have to get a couple hits off of Wade than anything else."

Sure enough, Calhoun's bunt sailed directly at Moustakas, who wasn't taking any chances as he calmly looked the ball into his glove as Angels catcher Chris Iannetta scampered back to first.

Moustakas, whose homer in the 11th eventually won the game, 3-2, for the Royals, didn't notice that Calhoun wasn't running. Otherwise, he had a shot at an easy around-the-horn double play.

The decision didn't come back to haunt the Royals, as Davis later retired Albert Pujols and Howie Kendrick to end the threat. But at the very least, it could have saved some pitches on Davis' arm. (He threw 27 in 1 1/3 innings.)

"You take as many outs as you can get," Moustakas said. "That's kind of what was going through my mind: catch the ball and let Wade do what he's been doing all year."