Royals perfect in postseason, take 2-0 ALCS lead
BALTIMORE – Breaking down the AL Championship Series Game 2 from Oriole Park at Camden Yards:
Box score: Royals 6, Orioles 4, Royals lead series, 2-0.
***
The final: The Royals used their signature brand of baseball to once again pull out a postseason victory in the late innings. Spectacular relief pitching kept the Orioles scoreless for the final four innings and shortstop Alcides Escobar drove in pinch-runner Terrence Gore with a double in the top of the ninth to score the go-ahead run. The hit off Orioles closer Zach Britton came after – what else? – a sacrifice bunt put Gore in scoring position.
***
State of the Series: As the series shifts to Kansas City, the Royals will look to extend their amazing October winning streak. With six consecutive victories this postseason, Kansas City has won its last nine playoff games, dating back to Game 5 of the 1985 World Series.
The Royals will have veteran right-hander Jeremy Guthrie on the mound for Game 3. Guthrie (13-11, 4.13) has been in the majors for 11 seasons, but Monday's start will be the first of his career in the postseason.
Guthrie had two starts against the Orioles during the regular season, allowing six runs in 15 innings (3.60 ERA) with a loss and a no-decision.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter has not committed to a Game 3 starter, but all signs point to left-hander Wei-Yin Chen – who started Game 2 of the Division Series against the Detroit Tigers and was among the candidates to start Game 2 of the ALCS before Showalter opted for Bud Norris.
Chen went 1-0 in two starts against the Royals in the regular season, yielding three earned runs and 16 hits in 12 1/3 innings (2.19 ERA).
***
Game 2 pivot point: The Orioles had a golden opportunity to take their first lead in the series in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Against reliever Kelvin Herrera, who worked two full innings in Game 1 the night before, the Orioles loaded the bases with one out on an error by Herrera, a walk and a ground single by Nelson Cruz.
On Cruz's seeing-eye hit through the hole at shortstop, Nick Markakis could have tried to score, but he declined to test the arm of Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon.
Herrera retired the next batter, Steve Pearce, on a fly ball to shallow left. And he got out of the inning unscathed when J.J. Hardy lifted a fly ball to right that Lorenzo Cain ran down.
***
Man of the moment: No one in the series seems to be as locked-in as Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain. He proved it on four different occasions in Game 2.
In the first inning, Cain doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. When Eric Hosmer lifted a broken-bat looper over the head of Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, Cain read the play instantly and ran hard all the way. The throw to the plate from short left field wasn't even close as the Royals went up 2-0. And by Cain drawing the throw, Hosmer was able to move up to second base. (Though he didn't end up scoring.)
In the top of the fifth, after picking up his third hit of the game (and raising his average in the series to .833), Cain stole second base on a 3-0 count against reliever Brad Brach, getting about as good a jump as you'll see – on a count in which few runners will ever attempt to steal. Brach hardly looked Cain's way, so he took advantage and easily beat the throw from catcher Caleb Joseph.
On defense, Cain took away a certain double from J.J. Hardy leading off the bottom of the sixth inning. The ball was tailing away from him into the gap in right-center field, but Cain closed on it and made a terrific sliding catch.
After moving to right field in a defensive switch, Cain was there to grab the third out of the seventh inning when the Orioles had the bases loaded.
And in the ninth, he collected his fourth hit of the game – a single through a drawn-in infield to give the Royals an important insurance run for the final margin.
For the series, Cain is hitting a sizzling .750.
***
Manager's special: The key decision for Royals manager Ned Yost in the early stages of the game was how long to stay with starter Yordano Ventura.
The rookie right-hander, who had already thrown a career-high 183 innings in the regular season and pitched twice in the postseason, got into trouble in the fifth inning. He gave up consecutive singles to Alejandro DeAza and Adam Jones to put the tying run on third base.
Just as he did with starter James Shields in Game 1, Yost stuck with his starter. Although he was able to get Nelson Cruz to hit a ground ball to short, the Royals couldn't turn an inning-ending double play – and the tying run scored.
Whereas Yost probably should have taken Shields out earlier than he did, the move can be more easily defended because the Royals had to use both of their top setup men for two innings apiece the night before.
The move may have cost the Royals even more the following inning when Ventura came back out for the sixth with his pitch count at 85. He retired the first two batters on fly outs, but after throwing a 1-1 pitch to Caleb Joseph, something didn't feel right. An athletic trainer came out and shortly afterward, so did Ventura – with what was later described as tightness in his right shoulder.
***
Needing a mulligan: For a second consecutive game, the Orioles had their starting pitcher last only 4 1/3 innings.
Bud Norris was lifted after giving up Lorenzo Cain's third hit of the day. His pitching line over those 4 1/3 innings: nine hits, four runs, no walks and three strikeouts with 67 of his 90 pitches going for strikes.
He also seemed to have especially poor chemistry with catcher Caleb Joseph. On several occasions, Joseph called time out or Norris stepped off the mound. Joseph also had to run through the signs multiple times. He even stepped out in front of the plate between batters to say something to his pitcher.
Nick Hundley was behind the plate in Norris' last start, in which he tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers to complete a sweep of the Division Series.
Before that, Joseph caught each of Norris' final six starts of the regular season – during which Norris went 4-0 with a 2.72 ERA and a .212 opponents batting average. The Orioles won all six of those starts.
The last time Norris was on the mound and the Orioles lost: August 23 at the Chicago Cubs.
***
What you missed on TV: Although the Orioles trail 2-0 in the series, reliever Andrew Miller has been their not-so-secret weapon.
After throwing 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in Game 1, Miller came back to get five more outs in Game 2.
In four appearances this postseason, Miller has allowed one hit, one walk and no runs in 6 1/3 innings – good for a 0.00 ERA and 0.32 WHIP.
What makes Miller so valuable in the postseason is that he doesn't have any significant platoon splits. His average/on-base/slugging slash line against right-handed hitters during the regular season was .145/.245/.202. Against left-handed hitters: .163/.206/.261.
His versatility also allows manager Buck Showalter to bring him into virtually any situation. In Game 2, Miller replaced right-handed reliever Brad Brach even though a right-handed batter was at the plate. The reason: Showalter wanted a left-handed pitcher to cut down on the lead of pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson. The move worked when catcher Caleb Joseph threw Dyson out attempting to steal second.
GALLERY: ALCS - ORIOLES vs. ROYALS