2014 ALCS IST -- KC vs Balt

[batmagadanleadoff]

"Stunning!"

[Guest d'Kong76]

Frayed Knot wrote: Nah, there's no network job in baseball that'll take more than a day or two a week. Local TV is really where the bread & butter is in baseball.

Just mean he could end up on ESPN or MLB.

[Frayed Knot]

Royals are now 6-0 in this post-season ... that's stunning enough.
But the really wild part is that in five of those games they scored their winning run(s) in the 12th, 11th, 11th, 10th & 9th innings - 4 of those 5 while on the road.
Only in game 3 vs Anaheim did they go ahead early to stay.

[MFS62]

"Who's Ron Gaspar?"*

Later

* Frank Robinson even got the first name wrong of one of the "nobodies" who would kick the Orioles' asses.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Baltimore at Kansas City
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, October 13, 2014
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
SportsDirect Inc.

The Kansas City Royals spent 28 years watching the postseason from home, and now that they�ve gotten back, they just can�t lose. The Royals go for their seventh straight win this postseason and a 3-0 lead in the American League Championship Series when they host the Baltimore Orioles in Game 3 on Monday. The Orioles have lost the battle of the bullpens in the first two games and will need to make some history in order to win the series.

No team ever has come back from a 2-0 deficit in the ALCS after losing the first two at home, a fact Baltimore has the talent to change. Adam Jones hit his first postseason homer in the Orioles� 6-4 loss in Game 2 and insisted after the contest that the series was not over despite back-to-back late-inning meltdowns. If Baltimore hopes for a comeback, getting setup man Darren O�Day and closer Zach Britton on track would be one key, as the two have combined to allow four runs on four hits and three walks in the first two games.

TV:
8:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (0-0, 12.27 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (2014: 13-11, 4.13)

Chen was bailed out by the offense in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against Detroit after allowing five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. The Taiwan native surrendered two or fewer earned runs in each of his final five regular-season turns and held Kansas City to three runs over 12 1/3 frames in two starts earlier in 2014. Chen yielded a pair of home runs in his ALDS start and was reached for 29 blasts in 32 regular-season outings.

Guthrie missed out on the fun in the wild-card game and the ALDS but gets the nod against his former team in Game 3. The veteran spent five seasons at the top of Baltimore's staff without making the playoffs before leaving via free agency following the 2011 campaign. Guthrie finished the regular season strong, allowing a total of one earned run in 20 1/3 innings over his last three starts, but has not pitched since Sept. 26.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Royals 3B Mike Moustakas is the first player in franchise history to homer in four straight playoff games.
2. Baltimore DH Nelson Cruz has recorded multiple hits in each of the first five games of the postseason.
3. Kansas City CF Lorenzo Cain is 6-for-8 with four runs scored and an RBI in the first two games of the series.

[Frayed Knot]

One would have to say that this series of moves has worked out well for the Royals.

It was four off-seasons ago (Dec 2010) that KC swapped Zack Greinke (along with Yunesky Betancourt - no longer playing) to Milwaukee. In return they received:
* Lorenzo Cain - then a 24 y/o former 17th round draft pick with 150 ML ABs under his belt, now the .300-hitting starting CF with a lot of glove
* Alcides Escobar - then in his first full ML season, now the 5th year starting SS
* Jake Odorizzi - then a 20 y/o 1st round draft pick pitching in the low-A Midwest Lg

Odorizzi, who was thought by many to be the key to the deal, was then flipped two years later (w/others, most notably Will Myers) to TB for pitchers James Shields & Wade Davis, arguably their top starter and reliever this season


Nice work, KC.

[Gwreck]

It's "worked out" in the sense that they are in the playoffs (a reasonable measure of success for any team) but it's still pretty early to declare a winner on the Shields-Myers deal.

Shields is a free agent after this year.

Davis, as great as he was as a reliever this year, put up negative 2.7 WAR as a starter last year for KC.

Myers won the Rookie of the Year with Tampa and a 1.9 WAR in 2013 before having a terrible sophomore slump and a wrist injury. He's still 4+ seasons away from free agency and is 23 years old. Ororizzi put up 1.2 WAR in 31 starts this year for Tampa, his first full season.

[Frayed Knot]

Gwreck wrote: It's "worked out" in the sense that they are in the playoffs (a reasonable measure of success for any team) but it's still pretty early to declare a winner on the Shields-Myers deal.

And the making the playoffs part was the real prize here, especially given KC's last three decades.
Trades really shouldn't be looked in terms of 'winning or losing' so much as whether it accomplished the goal for the team(s) making them. In this case, the Royals shipped out a pitcher they were going to lose in the near future and wound up with a promising arm plus two full time/controllable players at tough to fill spots, then stapled that promising arm to a promising bat and flipped them for two more ready-to-use arms.
That doesn't mean that the deal didn't also work out for Milwaukee (who went to the playoffs with Greinke & Betancourt) or that it still won't for Tampa with Myers and/or Odorizzi playing a big role, only that it all sure looks good right now for KC.

[Frayed Knot]

Game 3 -- Rained Out
Will be played on Tuesday in the time slot where Game 4 was scheduled.

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: Game 3 -- Rained Out Will be played on Tuesday in the time slot where Game 4 was scheduled.

Gah!

[Guest d'Kong76]

Baltimore at Kansas City
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
SportsDirect Inc.

**See above**

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Something needs to happen to get Moustakas and Markakis into the same headline. A brawl? A stunning defensive play? I don't know, but something.

[Edgy MD]

A Hellenic Society conference.

[Edgy MD]

Nobody else tuning in?

Here's hoping Kansas City going to the pen so early will come back to hurt them.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Tie game in the sixth!

[Zvon]

The Royals take a 2-1 lead. 7th inning.

[Frayed Knot]

I would have liked to hear Shields on that hidden mike thing yell out something like 'SUCK IT JETER' on that Mustakas over-the-rail catch.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

The Royals give one so much hope.

[Edgy MD]

PbP calls I'd never heard before: "He made the play right in front of his beard."

[Frayed Knot]

Damn ... This is a helluva run they're on!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

fuk. O's on the brink.

OTOH, Royals are one of those clubs capable of losing 4 in a row, aren't they?

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: OTOH, Royals are one of those clubs capable of losing 4 in a row, aren't they?

You mean, like the Yankees?

[batmagadanleadoff]

The Royals are one game away from completing a stunning sweep of the Orioles.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

They've cracked the code.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: I would have liked to hear Shields on that hidden mike thing yell out something like 'SUCK IT JETER' on that Mustakas over-the-rail catch.

When the guy on radio ( Aaron Boone?) said that was Moustakas' Jeter-like moment, I threw up a little in my mouth.

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

And they've got the coolest scoreboard in all of the [crossout]post-season[/crossout] playoffs.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Baltimore at Kansas City
When: 4:00 PM ET, Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
SportsDirect Inc.

The Kansas City Royals are one win away from the World Series. The Royals will try to clinch their first pennant since 1985 and a sweep of the American League Championship Series when they host the Baltimore Orioles in Game 4 on Wednesday. Kansas City entered the series with a hot bullpen and continues to deploy that weapon in the ALCS while showing a much more balanced offense than it was given credit for prior to the series.

The Royals have gotten the home run when need and still able to manufacture runs, grabbing the win in Game 3 on the strength of an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly. The Orioles won 96 games in the regular season and swept the Detroit Tigers in the AL Division Series, but are having trouble coming up with the big hit against Kansas City and were limited to three hits in Tuesday�s 2-1 setback. �I always feel like we�re one win from getting the thing going the other way,� Baltimore manager Buck Showalter told reporters after Game 3. ��We�re always one more opportunity away and that�s tomorrow.�

TV:
4:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (2014: 10-9, 3.23 ERA) vs. Royals LH Jason Vargas (0-0, 3.00)

Gonzalez was not needed in the three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Division Series and could have been skipped again due to Monday�s rainout, but gets his chance to start. The Mexico native allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his final eight regular-season turns and held Toronto scoreless over five innings in his last start Sept. 28. Gonzalez surrendered four runs � three earned � over six innings against Kansas City to suffer a loss April 27.

The Royals will stick with Vargas as well despite the rainout, saving James Shields for Game 5. Vargas was sharp against the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS, yielding two runs on three hits in six innings without factoring in the decision in a game Kansas City went on to win 3-2 in 11 innings. Two of the hits the veteran surrendered were solo home runs, and he has yielded six blasts over his last five turns.

WALK-OFFS:
1. The Royals� seven straight wins to start the postseason ties the record set by the 2007 Colorado Rockies.
2. Baltimore is trying to become the second team in MLB history (Boston Red Sox, 2004) to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games.
3. Royals CF Lorenzo Cain is 8-for-12 with five runs scored in the series.

[Frayed Knot]

[fimg=250]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BlV6ZRvCUAAchMi.jpg[/fimg]

Looks like KC fans have gone from believing that George Brett was the Lord to seeing that he merely hangs with the Lorde.

[Gwreck]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: OTOH, Royals are one of those clubs capable of losing 4 in a row, aren't they?

Yeah, to the Giants in the World Series. Like Colorado did in 2007 after going on a similar run - won play-in game in extra innings; swept DS and LCS.

[HahnSolo]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: They've cracked the code.

George Brett and his mom.

(Lorde age truther)