SAN FRANCISCO — The Royals won Game 2 — and the off day before Game 3.

Once John Hart relented and accepted the Braves’ request to remove his interim title and become the full-time president of baseball operations on Friday, it meant Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore was staying put.

Atlanta president John Schuerholz said he would not have spoken to Moore anyway because Moore had a contract beyond this season. But Moore’s strong ties to Schuerholz and the Braves made this the rumor that would not die this postseason.

Schuerholz is Moore’s mentor, having hired him into baseball and promoted him up the Brave chain. Moore used that as a catapult to become Royals GM, just as Schuerholz had been before moving to Atlanta.

So, Moore will not be emulating Schuerholz’s K.C.-to-Atlanta path. Nevertheless, the Royals sure hope he follows in another fashion. Schuerholz was the architect of the greatest phase in Kansas City history, a 10-year run from 1976-85 in which the Royals made the playoffs seven times and won the ’85 title.

In case you have been with Gilligan and haven’t heard, this is the first Royals team to make the playoffs since then. Can they stay October staples?

“It is going to be challenging,” Moore said. “But I do feel like we are in the early stages of our window.”

What does Moore have to do to keep the window from closing quickly?

Moore has made two seminal trades surrounding No. 1 starters. He dealt Zack Greinke, for Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jake Odorizzi when he did not think his team was ready to win. He obtained James Shields plus Wade Davis for Wil Myers, Odorizzi and two other prospects when he sensed players such as Cain and Escobar had grown enough with their brethren that it was now winning time.

Moore knew he had just two years with Shields (2013-14). Even with a poor postseason, the righty’s history of workhorse excellence likely means a free-agent contract this offseason in the four-to-five-year, $80 million-to-$100-million range. That almost certainly prices out the Royals.

Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura showed the potential to work at the top of a rotation, but both also experienced arm problems late in the season. Power arms, in particular, are risky. The veterans, Jeremy Guthrie and Jason Vargas, are stabilizing types. Brandon Finnegan, who was playing in the College World Series in June and has been so intriguing out of the bullpen this postseason, also could be a factor.

Keep this in mind: One of Schuerholz’s strongest tendencies in Atlanta was a willingness to use a deep farm system to acquire what his club needed. As the Shields trade depicted, Moore has some fearlessness in this area, as well. He even could have a fascinating chip to …

Moore indicated to me Kansas City’s budget can handle picking up Wade Davis’ $7 million 2015 option and having Greg Holland get about $8 million in his second year of arbitration eligibility. That finishing tandem, plus seventh-inning man Kelvin Herrera, form the strength of the team. Still, a team with a payroll still likely to be south of $100 million must ask if allocating that much for about 120 innings is a good use of the money — especially since Herrera can step into the eighth inning should Davis or Holland be traded.

Also, if not now, decision day is coming. Davis’ 2016 option is $8 million, Holland’s price tag then could be $12 million-ish. And K.C. must be judicious here because soon they will be …

Moore used his first draft pick as Royals GM (second overall) to pick Mike Moustakas in 2007 and the third overall pick in 2008 to select Eric Hosmer. They were supposed to be the infield cornerstones. But Hosmer has been, at best, good while Moustakas has frustrated to the point he was demoted to the minors this year.

This postseason, though, they have performed how Moore had dreamed. Is this how it will be going forward? And, if it is, these are Scott Boras clients. Thus, the clock is ticking toward free agency after the 2017 season. The more immediate positional question revolves around Alex Gordon, signed for $12.5 million in 2015, he has a player option for $12.75 in 2016. The Nebraskan so loves playing for Kansas City that he has said he will pick that up.

But we will see. He is repped by Casey Close, who is known for maximizing the value of his clients, and this client is one of the game’s better two-way players.

One item that helps with the budget is Kansas City has two of the most team-friendly deals in the sport: Shortstop Alcides Escobar is signed for six years at $21.5 million (including options) through 2017 and catcher Salvador Perez for eight years at $21.25 million (including options) through 2019.

It means Moore has important pieces in place — as he tries to emulate Schuerholz in Kansas City.

There are some tinges of the 2009 World Series in this Fall Classic.

If you remember, the NL team, the Phillies, won Game 1 on the road over the Yankees, 6-1, behind the excellence of their lefty ace, Cliff Lee. The Yankees then beat a former Cy Young who had seen his better days, Pedro Martinez, in Game 2. And the tone of that Series was set. The Yanks pretty much had to figure out how to win four games not started by Lee, who also won Game 5.

In this World Series, the NL team, the Giants, won Game 1 on the road over the Royals behind the excellence of their lefty ace, Madison Bumgarner. The Royals then beat a former Cy Young who had seen his better days, Jake Peavy, in Game 2. And it does feel like the tone of this series has been set. The Royals pretty much have to figure out how to win four games not started by Bumgarner, who is due in Game 5.

“I hear the comparison, but you have to try to win all the game,” said Raul Ibanez, a Phillies outfielder in 2009 and an inactive — but still influential — Royal now. “You can’t think that another pitcher [besides Bumgarner] is a [loss]. It is the World Series. The mind-set has to be that they are all important.”