Yordano Ventura’s friend, Oscar Taveras, was on his mind during his Game 6 start, but his focus was obviously on the job at hand — pitch the Royals into a Game 7 against the Giants.

Grief wore a diamond-stud earring, a fitted gray shirt with a black collar, two metal bracelets and one thick yellow rubber band that read “VIP: Lifestyles Resort.”

The Royals put up some of their best postseason numbers in franchise history en route to a 10-0 victory over the Giants on Tuesday to set up a winner-take-all Game 7 in the World Series. Here are some of the more interesting facts and figures to come out of Game 6.

Byron Buxton, MLBPipeline.com’s top-rated prospect, left Monday’s Arizona Fall League game in the top of the ninth with an injury to the middle finger on his left hand. Buxton will sit out the remainder of the AFL schedule.

Although Mike Sweeney doesn’t feel any pangs watching the Royals make their frenetic push through October, it does serve as a reminder that he wasn’t able to do the same with the organization when he was in uniform. In that respect he’s glad to be contributing in some way to today’s club as a special assistant to GM Dayton Moore.

Men have breasts, too. That is the message Bret Miller wants to shout from the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat behind home plate at Kauffman Stadium for Game 6 of the World Series.

The pregame ceremony prior to Game 6 of the World Series at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night began on a solemn note, with a moment of silence being held for St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras and his girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo.

It was the kind of link nobody wants to make, but one few could avoid. On Sunday afternoon, when word spread of the tragic death of 22-year-old Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras, many within the Angels’ organization undoubtedly thought back to 2009, when their young pitcher, Nick Adenhart, was killed in a car accident of his own.

Kyle Zimmer, the Royals’ No. 2 overall prospect and top pitching prospect, underwent exploratory surgery on his right shoulder on Tuesday.

Everybody, everybody, everybody talks about the three fellows at the back end of the Kansas City bullpen. And they deserve all the attention, not to mention the “oohs” and the “aahs” for their high-octane, super-charged stuff. On the other hand, operating with just a bit more subtlety, but with every bit as much success, we find the members of the San Francisco Giants bullpen.

Now the Royals’ bullpen is going to have to do something it hasn’t had much practice at this season: Bounce back. Going into a must-win Game 6 tonight at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City’s relievers are confident they can regain their form.

Here’s a breakdown of the pitching matchup for Game 6 of the World Series at Kauffman Stadium tonight between the Giants’ Jake Peavy and the Royals’ Yordano Ventura.

The Giants are close now, close enough to feel it and taste it and imagine it. This could again be their moment. As usual, they’re at their best in games like this, when the lights are bright and the stage large. Only thing is, there’s a teensy bit of history on the Royals’ side. Actually, it’s more than a teensy bit.

Three World Series championships in five seasons? In this day and age? With an expanded postseason format and revenue sharing and general competitive parity? That’s what you’d call a Giant undertaking. The Royals, meanwhile, have a giant undertaking of their own. They’re going to need two straight victories to keep these Giants from reaching their dynasty destiny. And the good news there is that they’re at home to try to make it happen.

While the Royals have never experienced as much urgency to win a game as they will tonight, when a win over the Giants gets them to the deciding game of the World Series and a loss sends them home, they can draw on a wealth of experience from playoff series in the Minor Leagues.

A number of Giants know the sensations that the occasion of a potential World Series-clinching prompts. They experienced them in 2010, when they bested the Rangers in five games and in 2012, as they swept the Tigers.

Through the years, Game 6 of the World Series has had an almost mystical ability to thrill us and chill us and etch itself into our hearts and minds. Now we’ve got another, coming up tonight at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.