The Kansas City Royals are just 1 game away from claiming the AL Division title after a 29 year absence from the MLB playoffs. The Royals beat the LA Angeles 4-1 in Friday’s game, allowing the Royals to claim a 2-0 lead in the series. The Royals pitchers have almost halted the Angels’ high scoring offense, limiting their opponent to just 3 runs in 22 innings in the series so far. In their first game against the Angels, the Royals won 3-2 in 11 innings.
The Royals beat the Oakland Athletics last Tuesday in the American League wildcard game. The 12-inning game resulted in a 9-8 victory for the Royals although the As got off to a 7-3 lead. Salvador Perez’s hit in the 12th inning allowed rookie infielder Christian Colon to reach home plate and score a run, sealing Oakland’s defeat.
Between their victory over Oakland and the most recent 2 games against Los Angeles, the Royals have now won 3 straight postseason games in extra innings. Royals Manager Ned Yost has been highly criticized throughout much of the season, but the team’s postseason play thus far is an indication that it’s clear he knows what he’s doing. With his former teams, Yost has been to the World Series 6 times.
Just 8 teams in MLB’s history have come back to win from a 2-0 deficit so the Angels definitely have their work cut out for them if they plan on claiming victory and advancing. The underdog Royals have certainly been proving they belong here. James Shields is expected to start as pitcher when the Royals host the Angels for Game 3 on Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. CST. A strong start by Shields and an enthusiastic, faithful Kansas City crowd decked out in white and blue, should help the Royals keep up their impressive, and to many, surprising, streak of victory.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Monday, October 6, 2014
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are on the brink of playoff elimination, down 0-2 in the series after being defeated 7-6 by the Baltimore Orioles in last Friday’s game. Pitcher Justin Verlander started for the Tigers in this game. In game 1, Baltimore defeated Detroit 12-3, including 8 runs in the 8th inning. Pitcher Max Scherzer started for the Tigers in game 1.
Sunday’s game 3 is a must-win for Detroit. The Tigers will host the Orioles at home in Comerica Park. Tigers’ pitcher David Price is aware of the high expectations and the pressure to perform well in game 3. The Tigers obtained Price from the Tampa Bay Rays via a 3-team trade just before the league’s deadline on July 31st. They had 1 goal in mind with this move: a World Series championship.
Price is no stranger to pressure. In the Tigers final regular season game, Price assisted the team in defeating the Minnesota Twins by pitching over 7 shutout innings. This victory led Detroit to clinch their 4th consecutive AL Central Division title. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus is noted saying Price has unparalleled focus on each of his pitches and there is no lack of concentration here.
Centerfielder Rajai Davis will not start in Sunday’s game as he has been battling an injury over the past week. He played in both games 1 and 2 but was not able to play 9 innings in either. He may be able to assist the Tigers late in game 3 if needed. If the Tigers win on Sunday, Scherzer is expected to start as pitcher in game 4 on Monday, October 6th.
The Orioles have an aggressive swinging lineup and Detroit will need to pull some serious help from the bullpen, even if Price pitches well in game 3. Winning 3 in a row is not impossible for Detroit, but it will be a challenge they must be ready to now face.
Sunday’s game 3 is a must-win for Detroit. The Tigers will host the Orioles at home in Comerica Park. Tigers’ pitcher David Price is aware of the high expectations and the pressure to perform well in game 3. The Tigers obtained Price from the Tampa Bay Rays via a 3-team trade just before the league’s deadline on July 31st. They had 1 goal in mind with this move: a World Series championship.
Price is no stranger to pressure. In the Tigers final regular season game, Price assisted the team in defeating the Minnesota Twins by pitching over 7 shutout innings. This victory led Detroit to clinch their 4th consecutive AL Central Division title. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus is noted saying Price has unparalleled focus on each of his pitches and there is no lack of concentration here.
Centerfielder Rajai Davis will not start in Sunday’s game as he has been battling an injury over the past week. He played in both games 1 and 2 but was not able to play 9 innings in either. He may be able to assist the Tigers late in game 3 if needed. If the Tigers win on Sunday, Scherzer is expected to start as pitcher in game 4 on Monday, October 6th.
The Orioles have an aggressive swinging lineup and Detroit will need to pull some serious help from the bullpen, even if Price pitches well in game 3. Winning 3 in a row is not impossible for Detroit, but it will be a challenge they must be ready to now face.
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