Orioles Sweep Tigers With 2-1 Win in Game 3

The 2014 American League World Series team will be one we haven't seen in some time. Last night the Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 to win their ALDS series 3 games to none while later the Kansas City Royals completed a 3 game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with an 8-3 win in their ALDS series.

Buck Showalter, manager of the O's, had this to say about his team. "This is fun to watch. Believe me, I'm happier than you can imagine," Showalter said. "But most of it comes from getting to see the players get what they've put into it."

The Orioles were in the 2012 ALDS when they lost to the Yankees 3 games to 2. Prior to that the O's hadn't been in the playoffs since losing to the Indians in 6 games in 1997. In 1983, the Orioles beat the Phillies to win the World Series in 5 games. The Kansas City Royals haven't been in the playoffs since beating the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series.

As in the first game of the series, the Orioles faced a former American League Cy Young Award winning pitcher David Price. Baltimore had already beaten Cy Young winners Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in games 1 and 2.

Price was acquired from the Rays this season for a moment like this. He did not disapppoint. Through 5 innings he allowed 2 hits and the O's didn't get a runner to second base.

In the top of the 6th, Adam Jones singled to left with one out. Nelson Cruz then hit a 1-1 slider down and away for an opposite field 2 run home run. This wasn't a "mistake" thrown by Price. This was strength against strength and this time the batter won. The ball sailed over the 330' mark in right, probably the only spot in the park where it would have been a home run. The Orioles had the 2 runs they needed for the sweep.

Bud Norris, 15-8 as a starter for the Orioles, went 6 1/3 innings holding the powerful Tiger lineup in check. He allowed just 2 hits and issued 2 walks while holding Detroit scoreless.

The Tigers squandered an opportunity against Norris in the 3rd. Don Kelly singled to lead off the inning. After Ian Kinsler popped out to short left field, Kelly stole second. Torii Hunter sent a sharp ground ball to short. JJ Hardy caught Kelly too far off the bag at second and threw to Jonathan Schoop to get Kelly. Schoop dropped the throw and appeared to obstruct Kelly's attempt to get back to the bag. The Umpires agreed that Kelly was out. Miguel Cabrera then hit a ball to Hardy whose throw sailed over the head of Schoop for an error and the Tigers had runners at 2nd and 3rd with two outs. Victor Martinez then flied out to short left field and the inning was over.

The Tigers would not threaten again until the bottom of the ninth. Zach Britton, the O's closer, started the 9th in relief of Andrew Miller. Britton gave up a double to Victor Martinez to start the inning. JD Martinez then hit a run scoring double to left and it seemed the Tiger's bats were coming alive. Bryan Holaday, who entered the game as a replacement when Alex Avila took a hard foul ball to his facemask in the 6th, struck out swinging. Britton walked Nick Castellanos intentionally.

Tiger manager Brad Ausmus, sent pinch hitter Hernan Perez to the plate to face Britton. Perez had been to the plate 5 times all year and just 3 times in September. He had grounded out in Friday's loss facing Britton. Perez hit into a 5-4-3 double play to give the Orioles the sweep and give the Tiger fans something to stew about all winter.

When setting the ALDS lineups prior to the series, Ausmus was asked why the right-handed-hitting Perez is on the roster, over the left-handed-hitting Collins, Ausmus responded: "The presence of the two left-handers (Andrew Miller, Zach Britton) at the back of their bullpen."

The Baltimore Orioles will now face the Kansas City Royals in a 7 game series beginning in Baltimore on Friday the 10th of October.

Royals Take Out Angels on Hosmer's 2 Run HR in 11th

Who are these Kansas City Royals to think they can travel to LA and beat the best team in baseball?

The Angels have 2 former MLB MVPs and a Cy Young Award winner on their roster. The won 98 games during the 2014 regular season and locked up a playoff berth by the 23rd of September. The Royals counter with the likes of Salvador Perez, Norichika Aoki and Mike Moustakas. Las Vegas oddsmakers gave KC no real chance of winning this series.

In last night's game the starter for the Angels, Matt Shoemaker, game into the game with a 16-4 season record and a 3.04 ERA. Houston Street, the Angels closer, saved 41 games and had a 1.37 ERA. The Royals starter had been the reliever in the Wild Card game who gave up a three run homer to Brandon Moss that almost cost the Royals a chance to play in the ALDS.

On paper the Royals didn't have a chance. This series, on paper, was just a warmup so that the Angels could stay loose for the ALCS series against the Orioles or the Tigers.

But that's why the games are actually played. Things happen in baseball. Strange things. Some would say miraculous things. The ALDS series between the Royals and Angels in LA is one of those things.

The Royal's starters and relievers have held the hard hitting Angels to just 3 runs in 22 innings. KC beat Jared Weaver, possible Cy Young winner in 2014, in game one and Matt Shoemaker in game 2. The Royals have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in the ALDS best-of-five series.

Of all the games played so far in the MLB Playoffs, this game turned out to be the pitchers duel that most thought would come from the marquee pitchers who started each game 1.

Yordano Ventura, of the Royals, went 7 strong innings giving up 1 run on 5 hits, while Shoemaker went 6 complete allowing 1 run on 5 hits.

Eric Hosmer led off the KC second with a single and moved to second on an error by right fielder Kole Calhoun. After Billy Butler struck out, Hosmer scored on a single to center by Alex Gordon.

Ventura silenced the Angel's bats until the bottom of the 6th. Kole Calhoun singled to center with 2 outs. Mike Trout walked. Albert Pujols singled to center to drive in Calhoun and the score was tied at 1.

The pitchers duel continued until the top of the 11th. Relievers on both teams did an outstanding job of keeping their teams in the game while waiting for the offenses to get to work.

In the top of the 11th, with Kevin Jepsen on the mound for the Angels, Lorenzo Cain beat out an infield single. Eric Hosmer followed with a home run to right, scoring Cain and giving the Royals a 3-1 lead. After pinch hitter Josh Willingham popped out to second, Alex Gordon walked. Vinne Pestano relieved Jepsen. Gordon stole second and went to third on a throwing error by Angel's catcher Chris Iannetta. That error proved costly as Gordon scored on an infield single by Salvador Perez.

The Angels couldn't mount any threat against Greg Holland in the bottom of the 11th and the Royals had the victory.

These 2 teams will meet for game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday the 4th of October.

Orioles Showalter Always One Step Ahead of the Competition

An ESPN article was written about Buck Showalter's work habits. "When Baltimore manager Buck Showalter bunkers down in his office with bench coach John Russell before a game, the main objective is to find every matchup, lineup combination or snippet of information that might give the Orioles an edge. But the depth of Showalter's inquisitiveness makes his players wonder if game preparation is the only item on his agenda."

Read the ESPN story here