2024-10-02 14:20:02
A 2014 American League Championship Series rematch is underway at Camden Yards.
The Royals are hoping to begin a magical run reminiscent of that era for the franchise. The Orioles will try to end a postseason losing streak by getting revenge vs. the club that it started against.
Kansas City (86-76, No. 5 seed) and Baltimore (91-71, No. 4 seed) are set to face off in a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series that will begin with Game 1 on Tuesday. Game 2 will follow on Wednesday, then Game 3 will be held Thursday (if necessary). The winner of the Royals-O’s clash will advance to take on the AL East champion Yankees (No. 1 seed) in the AL Division Series.
The Orioles have lost eight consecutive playoff games dating back to the 2014 ALCS, when they were swept, 4-0, by Kansas City. They snapped a seven-year postseason drought last year by going 101-61 and winning the AL East, before being swept in three games in the ALDS by the eventual World Series champion Rangers.
“A lot of our guys hadn’t played in the postseason a lot before last year, and to have that experience, I think it’s going to work out well,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’re excited to play in front of our home fans. It’s going to be a lot of energy in the ballpark.”
Meanwhile, the Royals are making their first postseason appearance since winning the 2015 World Series. It was an impressive one-year turnaround for Kansas City, which lost 106 games in ‘23 (tied for the most in franchise history), before seizing the second AL Wild Card berth in ‘24.
“I’m excited to be back,” said catcher Salvador Perez, who is the only remaining member from the 2015 team still with Kansas City. “I’ve been waiting to be back in the playoffs for [nine] years. And I’m super excited with the group that we have.”
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 1 is LIVE, with the broadcast airing on ESPN2.
All games are available in the U.S. on MLB.TV (authentication to a participating Pay TV provider is required). Live games are also available in select countries outside the U.S. For full details, click here.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Ragans’ second half in 2023, after the Royals acquired him from the Rangers for Aroldis Chapman, put high expectations on the 26-year-old lefty heading in ’24. He met every single one, posting a 3.14 ERA with 223 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings across 32 starts. In September, with the Royals struggling as they chased down a postseason spot, Ragans posted a 1.08 ERA in four starts. Ragans didn’t have many truly bad starts in 2024, but he didn’t fare well against the Orioles in two regular-season outings, allowing seven runs across eight innings, with 11 strikeouts and two walks.
“I’m going to keep the same mentality I’ve had all year,” said Ragans, who will be making his first career postseason appearance. “Don’t try to change anything. Don’t try to make anything any different, any better. We’re in this spot for a reason. We got here because of how all of us have prepared all year.”
Acquired from the Brewers in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 1, Burnes pitched up to lofty expectations during his first season with the O’s, recording a 2.92 ERA and racking up 181 strikeouts in 194 1/3 innings over 32 starts. The 29-year-old had a 3.97 ERA (5 ER over 11 1/3 innings) in two regular-season starts vs. the Royals, though both of those outings occurred in April.
“Once we get in the postseason, the lights shine bright, it’s go time,” said Burnes, who has a 2.84 ERA over eight career playoff appearances, all with Milwaukee. “We’ve got to come out and play our best.”
What are the starting lineups?
Royals: The biggest factor for the Royals was Vinnie Pasquantino‘s status. He suffered a broken right thumb at the end of August but his recovery went well, so he’s right in the middle of the lineup for Game 1 against the Orioles. Michael Massey, who started as the leadoff hitter 16 times in 100 games this season, bats first in his first career playoff game.
Orioles: With the left-handed Ragans on the mound, the O’s slotted the right-handed bat of James McCann into their lineup. Lefty-hitting Cedric Mullins got the start in center field (with Colton Cowser in left) because of Mullins’ defense. First baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn (who is a lefty hitter) begins on the bench against his former team.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Royals: Lucas Erceg is the Royals’ closer, although he’ll handle the highest-leverage part of the game, even if that comes in the seventh or eighth innings. Lefties Kris Bubic, Sam Long, and Angel Zerpa will get other high-leverage spots — and the Royals have been making sure they all can handle right-handed batters in those big moments — but righty John Schreiber will also be relied on to get big outs against right-handed and left-handed batters. Lefty Daniel Lynch IV and righties Michael Lorenzen and Brady Singer are all poised to throw multiple innings if needed.
Orioles: Because the O’s clinched home-field advantage for the AL Wild Card Series on Friday, they used the rest of the weekend in Minnesota to get their relievers some light work and could also keep everybody fresh. Although Baltimore could play the matchups in save situations, right-hander Seranthony Domínguez has served as the primary ninth-inning reliever for the past two months.
Expect righty Yennier Cano and lefty Danny Coulombe to be the other primary relievers the Orioles turn to in high-leverage spots late in games.
Royals: Getting Pasquantino back is massive for the Royals’ lineup, and it amounts to a much quicker return than the Royals had originally thought when they put a six-to-eight week timeline on his rehab a month ago. Relievers Will Smith (back spasms) and Chris Stratton (right forearm flexor sprain) did not make the roster.
Orioles: Of the seven players on Baltimore’s injured list, the only one who could potentially return in October is right-handed reliever Burch Smith (right adductor groin strain). However, the 34-year-old had a 5.74 ERA in 25 appearances for the O’s, so he may not have been involved in the roster plans even if healthy.
Who is hot and who is not?
Royals: Kansas City needs to get its offense in a groove again. In the past 11 games, the Royals have scored one run or fewer seven times. They’re not a homer-hitting team, but the power has been non-existent. Witt has been doing most of the heavy lifting lately. If they can get Pasquantino back, it should help, but the rest of the lineup needs to get hot quickly.
Meanwhile, the Royals’ pitching has been outstanding all year, but especially in the last month. The Royals’ 3.55 rotation ERA ranks second in baseball (and best of the playoff field). The bullpen, an area of concern all season, has been the strength of this team in the past three weeks. It recorded a 1.90 ERA over the final 22 games of the season since Sept. 4.
Orioles: Mountcastle has been on a tear since returning from the injured list last Tuesday. He is 8-for-21 (.381) in six games after missing more than a month due to a left wrist sprain. O’Hearn also had a strong final week of the regular season, going 8-for-20 (.400) with two home runs and five RBIs over his past six games.
The O’s will likely need some of Henderson (4-for-18 over his past five games), Westburg (4-for-22 over his past five games), Rutschman (5-for-23 over his past five games) and Cowser (4-for-20 over his past five games) to get going this week.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• The 2014 ALCS is the only previous instance of the O’s and Royals have met in the postseason. Kansas City swept the series.
• Only one player who appeared in the 2014 ALCS remains on either roster, and that’s Perez, who was in his fourth MLB season at the time and is now a 13-year veteran at age 34.
• This Wild Card Series will feature a head-to-head meeting of the players taken with the top two picks in the 2019 MLB Draft — Rutschman (No. 1) and Witt (No. 2). Henderson was also taken in the second round by Baltimore that year.
• The Orioles won the season series against the Royals, 4-2. Ragans and Burnes faced off in both series, with Baltimore winning both of those games. On April 3, after a five-hour rain delay, Ragans allowed just one hit in 6 1/3 innings, but Kansas City lost on James McCann’s walk-off hit. Burnes allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings that day and then earned the win on April 20 after yielding three runs in 5 2/3 innings, even though the Royals nearly came back to win that game. Ragans didn’t make it out of the second inning in his second start against the Orioles with seven runs allowed.
