A few quick takes as the Orioles lose Game 1 to Kansas City

It was the pitcher’s duel that many expected. It was a game where one run was scored and today the visitors got it.

The Orioles' playoff losing streak, dating to 2014, reached nine today as they lost 1-0 to Kansas City on Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI single in the top of the sixth.

O’s starter Corbin Burnes, who allowed one run over eight innings plus, was outstanding today, just as he was late in the year.

But now the Orioles have to win two straight games to advance out of this Wild Card round.

Some quick thoughts on Game 1:

The RISP issues again: Yes it was against an outstanding lefty in Kansas City's Cole Ragans, but what few chances the O’s had today, again they could not cash in. They ended the regular season scoring 56 runs the last 10 games but today were blanked for the fourth time since Sept. 8.

Cedric Mullins led off the third with a double off the right-field wall. But he did not score and was stranded when Jordan Westburg flew out deep to left for the third out.

The O’s got a gift double when left fielder MJ Melendez overran a Ramón Urías fly ball in the fifth. But with first and third there and one out, Ragans fanned James McCann and Gunnar Henderson.

The O’s went 1-for-7 with RISP for the game.

Ragans, who had an ERA of 1.08 in September, pitched six scoreless on four hits. The O's seemed to get a break when he had to leave the game due to left calf cramps. But they did not score off the Royals' bullpen. 

Burnes was great: What an outing for the right-hander who ended the regular season with an ERA of 0.47 his last three starts and 1.29 over his last six.

He started the ninth inning, allowing a single and was replaced by lefty Keegan Akin. 

Burnes went eight innings plus allowing the five hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts. He didn't have nearly the swing-and-miss stuff he had last Thursday in New York, but still was pretty darn outstanding.

Burnes, who has never pitched a complete game, missed by an out of tying a career-high. He threw 8 1/3 innings on July 18, 2021 at Cincinnati.

This was a big difference from the starting pitching last October versus Texas in the American League Division Series. In those three games, the O’s starters allowed 20 hits and 13 runs over just eight innings.

The one run: Witt, who hit .332 this season with 109 RBIs, drove in the game's only run with that two-out single in the sixth. I would have considered walking him there or at least pitching him very, very carefully. But a first-pitch cutter found the plate and Witt drove in No. 9 hitter Maikel Garica, who walked, stole second and moved to third on a groundout.

The crowd: They were loud and roared much of the day. But the announced attendance of 41,506 was not a sellout.