Another look at the Orioles and Royals ahead of Game 1 of the Wild Card round

In sizing up the last two regular seasons, where the Orioles posted 192 wins to rank second-most in the majors, O’s skipper Brandon Hyde noted the differences Monday afternoon at his press conference ahead of Game 1 of the AL Wild Card playoff series with Kansas City. 

There were big differences between how one team won 101 games and a division title and the other faced real challenges to get to 91 victories and a Wild Card berth.

“Last year there were so many things that went right throughout the regular season,” said Hyde. “The one thing that went wrong was (Félix) Bautista there at the end. But it felt like we won a lot of games that maybe we shouldn’t have at the time. We had a lot of comebacks.

“And this year was just a little more of a grind. Way more injuries. A big part of our rotation that we lost. There were a lot of things we dealt with that we didn’t have to deal with last year.

“I’m hoping it makes us tougher honestly. The adversity our guys went through this year, I hope it benefits us this postseason. I think it’s going to benefit guys in the future.

“I think last year’s (playoff) experience, of what that felt like at the end, when we did have that kind of fairytale season and a quick exit. I’m hoping these guys still have that taste in their mouth going into this postseason.”

Dating to the 2014 AL Championship Series, when Kansas City swept the Orioles four in a row by six total runs, the O’s have lost eight straight postseason games.

Their last playoff series win was the AL Division Series three-game sweep of Detroit in 2014 with their last postseason victory coming over those Tigers on Oct. 5, 2014.

Here is how the O’s and K.C. size up on the stat sheet in a few categories with their AL ranking in parenthesis.

Average: O’s .250 (3), Royals .248 (T-4^th)

OBP: O’s .315 (4), Royals .306 (9)

Slugging: O’s .435 (1), Royals .403 (6)

OPS: O’s .750 (2), Royals .709 (6)

Runs per game: O’s 4.85 (2), Royals 4.54 (7)

Team ERA: O’s 3.94 (8), Royals 3.76 (6)

Starter ERA: O’s 3.77 (4), Royals 3.55 (2)

Bullpen ERA: O’s 4.22 (11), Royals 4.13 (10)

The O’s offense was finally humming late in the year as they scored 56 runs with a .797 team OPS the last 10 games.

K.C.’s offense produced just 20 runs the last 11 games and they scored only 3.0 runs per game in going 11-18 the last 29 games.

But the Kansas City bullpen backed up its solid starting staff pitching to an ERA of 1.90 the last 22 games.

The word from Witt: Bobby Witt Jr. had a spectacular year for Kansas City batting .332/.389/.588/.977 with 45 doubles, 11 triples, 32 homers, 211 hits, 125 runs and 109 RBIs.

Pretty good indeed as he won the AL batting title and was second in doubles, triples, runs and slugging and third in OPS.

In the 2019 MLB Draft, the O’s selected Adley Rutschman No. 1 and Kansas City got Witt at No. 2.

“It’s been pretty special to see what he’s done and it’s fun to watch,” Witt said of Rutschman. “Pretty crazy to see the one-two and now we are matching up in the postseason. Pretty special and it’s an honor.”

Witt used that same word to describe making the postseason for the first time as a big leaguer.

“It’s special. This is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. Going into the last offseason this was the goal. And we’re here now.

“It’s amazing just with the team we have in the clubhouse how close we are and how special this is. In the past everyone in Kansas City talked about the 2014-2015 teams. We want to create our own legacy. We have been able to learn from those teams and those guys too with Salvy (Salvador Pérez) being on those teams. Try to now create our own little legacy," he said.

Witt said he has learned a bit about the postseason from catcher Salvador Pérez, who played against the Orioles in the 2014 ALCS.

“Just enjoy it,” he said he has learned. “Enjoy each and every moment. You never know when you will get this opportunity again.

“I am going to treat it like another baseball game. Just have to control what I can control out there. Just know the mound is 60 feet, 6 inches away and first base is 90 feet away. It’s the same game I’ve played since I was little. So, enjoy every moment and take it all in.”

While Pérez went 10-for-22 this year versus the Orioles with two homers, Will was 6-for-26, batting .231 with just one homer and one RBI.

The Orioles are 52-43 all-time in playoff games, going 26-23 in Baltimore and 7-11 at Oriole Park. Last year in the AL Division Series versus Texas, they were swept by scores of 3-2, 11-8 and 7-1.

The winner of the Orioles and Kansas City series advances to play the New York Yankees with Game 1 set for Saturday in New York. 

The Orioles say parking lots will open to fans 3.5 hours prior to first pitch, at 12:30 p.m. The ballpark gates will open 2.5 hours prior to first pitch, at 1:30 p.m. and today's first pitch is scheduled for 4:08 p.m.

For radio listeners, I will have postgame shows live from Camden Yards on WBAL Radio and the WBAL app after each game with Kansas City, beginning about 30 minutes after the last out.