Despite rainout, Royals stick with Game 4 starter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. --- The Kansas City Royals have decided to pass on the opportunity to start their top two pitchers on regular rest despite being in position to put the American League Championship Series away quickly.
Manager Ned Yost has opted to use left-hander Jason Vargas on Wednesday when the Royals face the Baltimore Orioles in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at 4:07 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals led 2-0 in the best-of-seven series going into Tuesday night's Game 3.
When Game 3 was rained out Monday, it gave the Royals the opportunity to pitch ace right-hander James Shields with regular rest in Game 4 and do the same with rookie righty Yordano Ventura in Game 5, scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Kansas City if necessary.
Instead, Shields would pitch a Game 5 and Ventura would go in Game 6, if needed, on Friday night in Baltimore.
"We thought it was beneficial to give Shields an extra day and Ventura an extra day," Yost said before Tuesday night's game. "I think being up two games helps us do that. If it was tied, 1‑1, it might have been a different decision. But we just felt it was best to line it up that way, give everybody as much rest as we can and go get it."
The Orioles plan to start right-hander Miguel Gonzalez in Game 4. He has yet to pitch in the postseason.
Without saying so explicitly, Orioles manager Buck Showalter left open the possibility of pitching Chris Tillman on regular rest Wedneday. Tillman and Shields faced each other last Friday in Game 1, a game the Royals won 8-6 in 10 innings at Baltimore.
"They've that luxury, so to speak, by winning the first two days," Showalter said of the Royals being able to give Shields and Ventura extra rest. "We're not in that position yet.
"It's not like we've had somebody go out there in the first two games and dominate them from a starting pitching standpoint, where you definitely want to get somebody back out there as soon as possible. But we also hope and think that that's always got the potential to be around the corner."
Vargas has not pitched since Oct. 2 when he faced the Los Angeles Angels in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Gonzalez's last start was on Sept. 28, the final day of the regular season, when he pitched five shutout innings to beat the Toronto Blue Jays.
Neither pitcher seems overly concerned about any effects of a long layoff and have tried to stay sharp by pitching in simulated games.
"I've been preparing myself to stay focused," Gonzalez said. "So I'm excited. I'm excited to go out there and give my team a chance to win a ballgame."
Said Vargas: "I feel fine. Definitely rested."
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SHOWALTER JOKES WITH MEDIA
With two days off since Game 2 of the ALCS in Baltimore, even Orioles manager Buck Showalter recognized the need for the assembled media to come up with some new angle for Game 3.
In his pregame availability, Showalter had a little fun with one of the hosts from a local sports talk radio station.
"How many sports talk shows do you have out here?" Showalter asked.
When informed Kansas City has two full-time sports talk stations, he replied, "We had three out there in Arizona. I knew I was trouble. Hoo wee. There was a lot of competition for some form of information.
"I don't know how y'all do it. Coming up with all these off days. I know you're looking for something ... I don't know how you do it. There's so much you can get there."
When asked whether Showalter did the same when he worked for ESPN, Showalter didn't miss a beat.
"Yeah, I made up a lot of stuff," he said with a smile to a wave of laughter from the assembled media.
Contributing: Steve Gardner