BALTIMORE — After a good, tense American League Wild Card Sequence Sport 1 on Tuesday — throughout which just one whole run was scored — the Royals are on the cusp of advancing to the AL Division Sequence of their first postseason look since their 2015 World Sequence championship run. They’ll have a chance to comb the Orioles in Sport 2 on Wednesday at Camden Yards.
Kansas Metropolis returned to October for the primary time in 9 years and promptly defeated Baltimore, 1-0, within the opener of the best-of-three AL Wild Card Sequence. Bobby Witt Jr. (RBI single within the sixth inning) and Cole Ragans (six dominant frames) served as the celebrities of the competition.
“You undoubtedly need Sport 1, proper?” Royals supervisor Matt Quatraro mentioned. “And we did simply sufficient on the offensive facet. The pitching was outstanding. The ambiance was nice. I imply, you possibly can inform straight away, proper from the anthem after they scream, ‘O,’ it was loud. But it surely helps once you’re not letting them get on the board to maintain issues in verify.”
By successful Wednesday’s Sport 2, the Royals would advance to face the top-seeded Yankees within the ALDS.
“Provides me the chills interested by it. Listening to the gang right here, I am unable to think about it at ‘The Ok,’” Witt mentioned. “We needed to carry October baseball again to Kansas Metropolis. We’re going to attempt to preserve doing that.”
The Orioles, however, nonetheless haven’t gained a postseason recreation since Sport 3 of the 2014 ALDS, as their playoff dropping streak was prolonged to 9. They should win Wednesday to pressure a Sport 3 on Thursday, or else they’ll be swept out of October for the second consecutive yr.
Within the temporary historical past of the best-of-three Wild Card Sequence, groups successful Sport 1 have gone on to advance 14 out of 16 instances. Of the ten groups to take Sport 1 on the highway, eight have gained the collection, together with seven through sweep.
“It’s all fingers on deck,” O’s first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn mentioned. “No matter we will do to win a baseball recreation tomorrow and stay one other day.”
When is the sport and the way can I watch it?
First pitch is ready for 4:38 p.m. ET/3:38 p.m. CT on Wednesday, and will probably be televised within the U.S. on ESPN. Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza and Ben McDonald can be within the sales space.
All video games can be found within the U.S. on MLB.TV (authentication to a taking part Pay TV supplier is required). Stay video games are additionally obtainable in choose international locations exterior the U.S. For full particulars, click on right here.
Who’re the beginning pitchers?
Royals: RHP Seth Lugo
Lugo takes the mound with an opportunity to ship the Royals to the following spherical, and very like they did with Ragans on Tuesday, they really feel nice about their possibilities with Lugo. The 34-year-old completed the common season with a 3.00 ERA throughout 33 begins and ranked second in baseball with 206 2/3 innings. Lugo throws the kitchen sink at hitters together with his nine-plus pitches, and he depends on weak contact to go deep into video games. He’s a veteran, however he has just one postseason look, when he threw two scoreless innings for the Mets within the 2022 Nationwide League Wild Card Sequence.
Orioles: RHP Zach Eflin
The O’s will flip to Eflin to attempt to assist lengthen their season. The 30-year-old right-hander was acquired from Tampa Bay on July 26, and he has been terrific since arriving in Baltimore, recording a 2.60 ERA in 9 outings. Eflin didn’t enable greater than three runs in any of these appearances, seven of which had been high quality begins. He has prior postseason expertise, having posted a 5.17 ERA in 11 video games (one begin) over the earlier two years for the Phillies and Rays.
“Now we have a chance to proper the ship,” Eflin mentioned. “We’re going to present up ready and be able to go.”
What are the beginning lineups?
Royals: Going through one other right-hander, it appears doubtless the Royals will roll out the identical lineup as they did Tuesday towards Corbin Burnes and hope for higher success than simply the one run. They might additionally swap left-handed-hitting Adam Frazier, who performs infield and outfield, in someplace for a special matchup.
Orioles: The left-handed-hitting O’Hearn will get his first begin of the collection after not being within the lineup vs. southpaw Ragans in Sport 1. Adley Rutschman will catch, with James McCann returning to the bench.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Royals: The Royals used their high-leverage relievers in Sam Lengthy, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg, who earned his first profession postseason save on Tuesday, however they’ll doubtless be obtainable once more in Sport 2. The Royals even have lefty Angel Zerpa and righty John Schreiber recent for the again finish of video games.
Orioles: Burnes stored Baltimore’s bullpen recent by pitching eight-plus innings in Sport 1. Left-hander Keegan Akin (two-thirds of an inning) and righty Seranthony Domínguez (one-third) each pitched, however they’ll be obtainable once more if wanted in Sport 2. The remainder of the Orioles’ aid corps hasn’t pitched since Sunday and even longer.
Any accidents of observe?
Royals: Ragans left Sport 1 early with left calf cramps, however neither he nor the Royals are involved about his availability shifting ahead in the event that they clinch an ALDS look. No different new accidents occurred for Kansas Metropolis in Sport 1, though it may need to see how Pasquantino feels after his first recreation again from a proper damaged thumb.
Orioles: No new accidents occurred for the O’s in Sport 1. The one candidate to probably return from the injured checklist this October is right-handed reliever Burch Smith (proper adductor groin pressure).
Who’s scorching and who is just not?
Royals: Sport 1 was an ideal instance of the Royals’ season, and particularly the previous month: Their offense continues to be struggling, however their pitching is great. On Tuesday, one run was simply sufficient. However Kansas Metropolis must see its hitters get scorching, particularly if it desires to make a deep run. Witt got here by within the massive second together with his RBI single on Tuesday, however the Royals didn’t have a lot alternative elsewhere.
Orioles: Lots of Baltimore’s hitters cooled off because the membership obtained shut out in Sport 1. The one exception was Mullins, who went 2-for-3 with a double after going 0-for-12 within the first three postseason video games of his profession final October. Urías additionally had a success, bettering to 8-for-29 (.276) since coming back from a proper ankle sprain on Sept. 22.
Rutschman stays mired in a droop. He went 0-for-4 in Sport 1 after hitting .214 in 23 video games throughout September.
The rest followers would possibly need to know?
Former Orioles outfielder Steve Pearce is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He performed in Baltimore from 2012-16, and he’s finest remembered for being one of many three gamers to attain on Delmon Younger’s go-ahead double in Sport 3 of the ‘14 ALDS vs. Detroit. The O’s gained that recreation, 7-6, and went on to comb the collection, 3-0.