After tough Game 1 loss, do the Orioles bounce back today?
The Orioles scored six runs, they had 14 hits, they went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. They came from four runs behind. And they lost.
It was a rare sight to see Chris Tillman, Zach Britton and Darren O'Day all have moments when they struggled and all in the same game as Kansas City beat the Orioles 8-6 in 10 innings last night.
Maybe the Orioles and their fans will get a small lift from this stat: Since the introduction of the seven-game series in 1985, just 54 percent (15 of 28) of teams that won Game 1 of the American League Championship Series went on to win the series. So losing Game 1 just means the losing team has more work to do and less time to do it.
The Royals should have everyone's attention by now. Are they a team of destiny or just a good team? They are 5-0 this postseason, winning four extra-inning games while scoring 32 runs.
"They are playing great," Tillman said. "They came in confident and they've been playing a good brand of baseball. One through nine, they grind through their at-bats. I have to be better."
Adam Jones saw his Orioles come from four runs down to tie the game last night. Today they try to tie this series.
"This is a tough team. This is a team here, we don't stop. When we got down 4-0, 'OK, now let's start chipping away at the lead,' " Jones said.
The Royals are the first team to ever win four extra-inning games in a single postseason. They went 5-7 in extra innings during the regular season, but are 4-0 in the playoffs.
Bud Norris (15-8, 3.65 ERA) takes the mound for the Orioles today and they could use a big outing from the right-hander who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 3 against Detroit.
The O's three back-end bullpen relievers all threw several pitches last night and that could limit their availability today. Andrew Miller threw 16 pitches, O'Day threw 18 and Britton threw 20.
Catcher Nick Hundley is still very confident in what those relievers will be able to do in this series.
"Those guys have been great for us all year. We like our guys. We like our arms in the bullpen. It is going to be a battle on both sides. Two very, very talented teams and they came out on top tonight. One game is not a series made."
Can Norris outpitch Yordano Ventura (14-10, 3.20 ERA) today? The 23-year-old Dominican right-hander went 6-2 with a 2.61 ERA over his last 10 regular-season starts and he went 1-1 with a 1.26 ERA in two starts against the Orioles this year.
Ventura, who struck out 17 Orioles in 14 1/3 innings this season, averages 96.6 mph on his fastball this year, topping at 101.
The Royals have now won eight consecutive postseason games dating to the 1985 World Series. That is the longest current streak in MLB and is tied for the seventh-longest in postseason history.
This just in: The Royals are good. The Orioles will really earn it if they come back to win this series.
Do they bounce back today?
"They are playing great," Tillman said. "They came in confident and they've been playing a good brand of baseball. One through nine, they grind through their at-bats. I have to be better."
Adam Jones saw his Orioles come from four runs down to tie the game last night. Today they try to tie this series.
"This is a tough team. This is a team here, we don't stop. When we got down 4-0, 'OK, now let's start chipping away at the lead,' " Jones said.
The Royals are the first team to ever win four extra-inning games in a single postseason. They went 5-7 in extra innings during the regular season, but are 4-0 in the playoffs.
Bud Norris (15-8, 3.65 ERA) takes the mound for the Orioles today and they could use a big outing from the right-hander who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 3 against Detroit.
The O's three back-end bullpen relievers all threw several pitches last night and that could limit their availability today. Andrew Miller threw 16 pitches, O'Day threw 18 and Britton threw 20.
Catcher Nick Hundley is still very confident in what those relievers will be able to do in this series.
"Those guys have been great for us all year. We like our guys. We like our arms in the bullpen. It is going to be a battle on both sides. Two very, very talented teams and they came out on top tonight. One game is not a series made."
Can Norris outpitch Yordano Ventura (14-10, 3.20 ERA) today? The 23-year-old Dominican right-hander went 6-2 with a 2.61 ERA over his last 10 regular-season starts and he went 1-1 with a 1.26 ERA in two starts against the Orioles this year.
Ventura, who struck out 17 Orioles in 14 1/3 innings this season, averages 96.6 mph on his fastball this year, topping at 101.
The Royals have now won eight consecutive postseason games dating to the 1985 World Series. That is the longest current streak in MLB and is tied for the seventh-longest in postseason history.
This just in: The Royals are good. The Orioles will really earn it if they come back to win this series.
Do they bounce back today?
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