Impact player of the game: Ned Yost's Game 3 lineup shuffle pays off

Royals manager Ned Yost continues to pull all the right strings, as a few lineup changes helped Kansas City to a 3-2 road win in Game 3 of the World Series that gives them a 2-1 series lead.

Yost made two key adjustments to his lineup as the scene shifted to a National League ballpark. First, he moved Lorenzo Cain from center field to right at tricky AT&T Park. That meant everyday right fielder Nori Aoki took a seat and the speedy Jarrod Dyson patrolled center.

Cain made a pair of solid defensive plays early, sliding to snag a Buster Posey liner to end the first inning and then robbing Travis Ishikawa with another outstanding defensive play to end the second. He also drove in Kansas City's first run of the game.

Alex Gordon, who batted sixth in the first two games in Kansas City, was moved up the order to second despite being hitless since Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Gordon responded in a big way, smoking an RBI double in the sixth inning to increase the Royals' lead to 2-0. His 10th RBI of the postseason tied Willie Aikens' club record, set back in 1980.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

Yost then masterfully managed his vaunted bullpen in the late innings. His decision to call on the shutdown trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland was a no-brainer, but he also got two key outs from young lefty Brandon Finnegan in the seventh inning. The four Royals relievers combined for four hitless innings.