At the start of the 2014 MLB season, there was likely not a single baseball expert that would have predicted this American League Championship matchup. The Kansas City Royals had the second longest postseason drought while the Baltimore Orioles were constantly overlooked as potential contenders. However, here both teams are preparing to shock the critics. It is small ball vs. long ball as they face off in Baltimore Friday night.
The Royals will play small ball. They run a more standard offense, stealing bases which turn singles into doubles into runs. Kansas City has stolen league-high 153 bases in the regular season. They put up seven more against Oakland and five more as they swept the Los Angeles Angels. The Royals were not expected to be in the postseason in the first place. They have not reached the postseason since 1985. Constantly, the underdog, the Royals are shocking people with each game especially getting the sweep over the Angels and their power hitters.
James Shields will take the mound for the Royals. The pitcher is 11-7 in his career against Baltimore. He is 2-0 against them this season while looking strong in the two postseason matches he has pitched. If Shields can continue his success against Baltimore, the Royals could get this series off to a fast start.
Baltimore plays a bit of a bigger game. The team is not exactly known for their small ball, falling dead last in the league with just 44 stolen bases. Instead of stealing bases, they just hit home runs. Nelson Cruz contributed 40 of the teams 211 this season. The Royals finished last in the league in that category. However, that does not mean Kansas City is incapable of hitting home runs. Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas proved that true.
The Orioles will put Chris Tillman on the mound to battle Shields. In his last matchup, Tillman went just five innings, giving up two earned runs in the process. He finished the season going 13-6 on the year with a 3.34 ERA. He could try and shut down the small game of Kansas City in order to give Baltimore a chance at getting the first win.