BALTIMORE — After a tense and tense Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday, totaling just one point, the Royals are on the verge of advancing to the AL District Series in their first postseason appearance since 2015. are. World Series Championship Run. They will have a chance to dominate the Orioles in Game 2 on Wednesday at Camden Yards.
Kansas City returned in October for the first time in nine years and defeated Baltimore 1-0 in the opening game of the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series. Bobby Witt Jr. (with an RBI in the 6th inning) and Cole Regans (dominant frame in the 6th inning) were the stars of the contest.
“You definitely want Game 1, right?” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And we did well offensively. The pitching was great. The atmosphere was great. I mean, when they yelled ‘oh’ during the national anthem, you knew right away that it was loud.” . But it helps if you keep them off the board to keep things in check. ”
If they win Game 2 on Wednesday, the Royals will advance to play the top-seeded Yankees in the ALDS.
“I get chills thinking about it. Listening to the crowd here, I can’t imagine what it’s like at ‘The K,'” Witt said. “We wanted to bring October baseball back to Kansas City, and we’re going to work to keep that going.”
Meanwhile, the Orioles have yet to win a postseason game since Game 3 of the 2014 ALDS, and their playoff losing streak has grown to nine. They need a win on Wednesday to advance to Thursday’s Game 3, otherwise they will be eliminated in October for the second year in a row.
In the short history of the best-of-three Wild Card Series, the team that won Game 1 has advanced 14 out of 16 times. Of the 10 teams entering Game 1 on the road, eight have won their series, including seven by sweep.
“We’re working hard,” O’s first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn said. “I’ll do whatever I can to win the baseball game tomorrow and live another day.”
When will the match be played? How can I watch it?
Game 2 is currently being broadcast live on ESPN, with Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza and Ben McDonald in the booth.
All games are available in the U.S. on MLB.TV (subject to authorization with a participating pay TV provider). Live games are also available in select countries outside of the United States. Click here for more information.
Who is the starting pitcher?
Royals: RHP Seth Lugo
Lugo takes the mound with a chance to advance the Royals to the next round, and just like Tuesday’s game against Lagans, the Royals are very happy with their chances with Lugo. The 34-year-old finished the regular season with a 3.00 ERA in 33 starts and was second in baseball with 206 2/3 innings pitched. Lugo throws batters the kitchen sink with pitches of nine or more pitches and relies on weak contact to get deep into games. Although he is a veteran, his only postseason appearance was in the 2022 National League Wild Card Series, when he pitched two scoreless innings for the Mets.
Orioles: RHP Zach Eflin
The O’s will turn to Eflin to help extend the season. The 30-year-old right-hander was acquired from Tampa Bay on July 26 and has been outstanding since arriving in Baltimore, posting a 2.60 ERA in nine games. Eflin hasn’t allowed more than three goals in any of his starts, and seven of those goals have been quality starts. He has postseason experience, posting a 5.17 ERA in 11 games (one start) over the past two years with the Phillies and Rays.
“We have an opportunity to right the ship,” Eflin said. “We’re going to get ready and leave.”
What is the starting lineup?
Royals: Facing another right-hander, the Royals will field much the same lineup as Tuesday’s game against Corbin Burnes and hope for more than just one point success. The only change for Game 2 was the substitution of Hunter Renfroe for right fielder Tommy Pham.
Orioles: Left-handed hitter O’Hearn makes his first start of the series after sitting out the lineup in Game 1 against the southpaw Reagans. Adley Rutschman makes the catch and James McCann returns to the bench.
What will be the lineup of the bullpen after the starters?
Royals: The Royals used high-leverage relievers Sam Long, Kris Bubic and Lukas Erceg, who earned his first career postseason save on Tuesday, and will likely be used again in Game 2. It will be. The Royals have left-hander Angel Zerpa and right-hander John Schreiber new to the back end of the game.
Orioles: Barnes pitched over eight innings in Game 1 to keep Baltimore’s bullpen fresh. Left-hander Keegan Akin (two-thirds of the innings) and right-hander Seranthony Dominguez (one-third) both pitched, but they could be available again depending on the situation. The rest of the Orioles relievers haven’t pitched since Sunday, or perhaps even longer.
Are there any noticeable injuries?
Royals: Regans left Game 1 early with left calf cramps, but neither he nor the Royals have any concerns about his future availability if they decide to play in the ALDS. There were no new injuries for Kansas City in Game 1, but we may have to wait and see how Pasquantino feels after his first game back from a broken right thumb.
Orioles: There were no new injuries for the O’s in Game 1. The only candidate to return from injured reserve this October is right-handed relief pitcher Birch Smith (right adductor groin strain).
Who is hot and who is not?
Royals: Game 1 was a perfect example of the Royals’ season, especially last month. The offensive line is still struggling, but the pitching is great. One run was enough on Tuesday. But Kansas City needs to see its hitters get hot, especially if they want to hit deep. Witt got through the big moments with an RBI on Tuesday, but the Royals didn’t have many other chances.
Orioles: The club’s shutout loss in Game 1 left many of Baltimore’s hitters cold. The one exception was Mullins, who was hitless in 12 at bats in his first three postseason games of his career, but went 2-for-3 with a double. Last October. Urias also had a hit, improving to 8-for-29 (.276 batting average) since returning from a sprained right ankle on September 22nd.
Lutchman is still in a slump. He batted .214 in 23 games during September, but went 0-for-4 in Game 1.
Is there anything else your fans would like to know?
Former Orioles outfielder Steve Pierce is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He played in Baltimore from 2012 to 2016 and is best remembered as one of three players to score on Delmon Young’s go-ahead double in Game 3 of the 2014 ALDS vs. Detroit. The O’s won the game 7-6 and won the series 3-0.
