Kansas City Royals
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Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals @ Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Friday, October 10, 2014 American League Championship Series - Game #1 TBS, KCSP Radio (610 Sports) & ESPN Radio UPCOMING SCHEDULE Game #2 - Saturday, October 11 @ Baltimore Orioles: RHP Yordano Ventura (0-0, 1.29) vs. TBA, 3:07 p.m. (CDT), TBS, ESPN Radio & 610 Sports Sunday, October 12: Off day in Kansas City (Royals work out at 2 p.m.) Game #3 - Monday, October 13 vs. Baltimore Orioles: TBA vs. TBA, 7:07 p.m. (CDT), TBS, ESPN Radio & 610 Sports Game #4 - Tuesday, October 14 vs. Baltimore Orioles: TBA vs. TBA, 7:07 p.m. (CDT), TBS, ESPN Radio & 610 Sports This series is being broadcast on KCSP Radio (610 Sports) and the Royals Radio Network with Royals’ Hall of Famer Denny Matthews, Ryan Lefebvre, Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart, while Don Free controls the dials as the producer/engineer...the ALCS is being televised nationally on TBS with Ernie Johnson Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Ron Darling and Matt Winer...every game is also being broadcast nationally on ESPN Radio with Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Chris Singleton. THE 2014 KANSAS CITY ROYALS POST-SEASON GUIDE IS AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT MLBPRESSBOX.COM Royals vs. Orioles ROYALS SWEEP THEIR WAY TO ALCS--The Royals used an eight-run outburst with Alex Gordon, Eric Kansas City makes its first trip to the ALCS since 1985, fac- Hosmer and Mike Moustakas each plating multiple runs with one swing, while James Shields tossed 6.0 ing the Baltimore Orioles for the first time in postseason play... quality innings as Kansas City finished off a 3-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with an 8-3 triumph the Royals took 4 of 7 meetings from the O’s during the regular last Sunday night at Kauffman Stadium...the 3-game brooming of the Halos placed KC in its first ALCS season, including wins in 2 of 3 played here...KC trails in the all- since 1985 when it played the Toronto Blue Jays...as for last Sunday, after Mike Trout had given the Halos time regular season series, 202-260, including a 90-140 deficit in Baltimore and 36-59 at Camden Yards: the lead with a solo shot in the top of the first, Gordon responded with a 2-out bases clearing double, giving Date Site Score WP LP Att. the Royals a lead they would not relinquish...Hosmer followed with a 2-run homer in the third, while 4/25 @ Bal W, 5-0 Ventura Jimenez 22,478 Moustakas added his second roundtripper of the series in the fourth...Shields earned his first Postseason 4/26 @ Bal L, 2-3 (10) Britton Duffy 34,941 win since the 2008 World Series, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits over his 6.0 innings, while the Royals’ bullpen 4/27 @ Bal W, 9-3 Shields Gonzalez 38,368 5/15 KC L, 1-2 Chen Ventura 12,455 recorded the final 9 outs...it was Kansas City’s first sweep in a postseason series since the 1980 ALCS, 5/16 KC L, 0-4 Tillman Guthrie 25,985 when it won three-straight from the Yankees to advance to the franchise’s first World Series. 5/17 KC W, 1-0 Duffy Norris 24,064 5/18 KC W, 8-6 Shields Jimenez 22,692 HISTORY WITH THE BIRDS--The Royals and Orioles have never met in postseason play, despite extensive postseason history for each in the 1970’s and 80’s...in fact, in the first 17 years that each league American League Championship Series 10/10 @ Bal played a Championship Series (beginning in 1969), there were only three years (1975, 1981, 1982) where 10/11 @ Bal neither franchise played for the A.L. Pennant...KC is looking to advance to the World Series for the first 10/13 KC time since 1985, while the O’s are seeking their first A.L. pennant since 1983. 10/14 KC 10/15 KC (if necessary) POSTSEASON WINNING STREAK--It’s been 29 years in the making, but the Royals have now reeled off 10/17 @ Bal (if necessary) seven consecutive postseason victories...Kansas City pulled the curtain on the 1985 World Series with St. 10/18 @ Bal (if necessary) Louis by winning Game 5 in Busch Stadium and then returning home for victories over the Redbirds in the final two affairs at ‘The K’...KC opened its return to postseason play on September 30 this season with a 12-inning win over the A’s in the Wild Card Game, rebounding from a 7-3 deficit to Jon Lester in the eighth inning, and then won consecutive 11-inning contests in Anaheim, before finishing off the Halos last Sunday in Kansas City. ROOKIES PLAYING BIG ROLES--Three Kansas City rookies played large roles in the American League Division Series, as right-handed pitcher Yordano Ventura, left-handed pitcher Brandon Finnegan and outfielder Terrance Gore made their presence felt...Ventura started Friday night’s game and tossed 7.0 quality innings, becoming just the third Royals rookie to start a postseason game, joining Bret Saberhagen (1984 vs. Detroit) and Mike Jones (1981 vs. Oakland)...Finnegan made a pair of scoreless appearances in the series, earning the victory in Game 2...he became the youngest pitcher (21 years, 172 days) to win a postseason game for KC, passing Saberhagen, who won Game 3 of the 1985 World Series at 21 years, 194 days...he was also just the fifth pitcher to record his first Major League win in the postseason and first since David Price in 2008...Gore did not have an at bat in the series, but stole a pair of bases as a pinch runner against the Angels and also had one vs. Oakland in the A.L. Wild Card Game. ROAD WARRIORS--The consecutive wins in Anaheim in the Division Series shouldn’t come as a surprise as the Royals saved their best work for the road this year going 47-34 away from ‘The K’, five wins better than Kansas City totaled at home this year (42-39) during the regular season...the road year turned around in Chicago, as KC entered play on July 22 in Chicago with a 26-25 record away from ‘The K’, but then reeled off a 21-9 record in road tilts, matching the Angels for the most road wins since that date...Kansas City was 8-1-1 in its last 10 road series played, winning sets at Chicago (twice), Oakland, Arizona, Minnesota, Texas, New York and Cleveland, while going 1-1 in Colorado and losing two of three in Detroit...the 47 road wins were the third most in franchise history and one win behind the ‘77 club for second highest success rate away from home. TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHERS: RHP James Shields (1-0, 4.91) vs. RHP Chris Tillman (13-6, 3.34) 2014 2013 Career 2014 2013 Career James Shields vs. Orioles 2-0 - 11-7 Major League Record 14-8 (3.21 ERA) 13-9 114-90 Chris Tillman vs. Royals 1-0 1-0 2-2 Major League Record 13-6 (3.34 ERA) 16-7 45-31 JAMES SHIELDS makes his ninth career postseason start and third of this year’s postseason...he’s made 26 regular season starts against the Orioles, earning a pair of wins vs. the O’s this season, including a 9-3 triumph here on April 27...he was acquired as the centerpiece of a 7-player deal from Tampa Bay on December 9, 2012. CONSECUTIVE STARTS--James pitched in Kansas City’s last postseason game, James’ 2014 Postseason Starts last Sunday evening, earning an 8-3 series-clinching victory over the Angels at Kauffman DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT Stadium...the win was Shields’ first in postseason play since a 4-2 triumph over Philadelphia 9/30 Oakland ND, 9-8 (12) 5.0 5 4 4 1 2 6 88-56 3-1 10/5 Los Angeles W, 8-3 6.0 6 2 2 2 2 6 105-65 8-2 in Game 2 of the 2008 World Series...he tossed 6.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 2014 Postseason 1-0 4.91 11.0 11 6 6 3 4 12 193-121 63% 2 walks and 6 strikeouts, firing 105 pitches last Sunday...his 6.0 innings represented his 2014 Regular Season 14-8 3.21 227.0 224 95 81 23 44 180 3632-2350 65% Career Postseason 3-4 4.96 45.1 51 26 25 7 12 37 - - longest playoff outing since he tossed a career-best 7.1 frames on October 8, 2008, in a 2-0 Division Series loss to Boston...his 6 strikeouts matched a postseason-best, marking the fourth time he’s done that in his career and second time this season, also fanning 6 against the A’s in the American League Wild Card Game on September 30. VS. ORIOLES--Shields is 11-7 in 26 regular season outings vs. Baltimore, posting a 3.52 ERA (69 ER in 176.1 IP) and a .250 opponents average...he faced the O’s twice this season, earning wins on April 27 (9-3) in Baltimore and May 18 (8-6) in Kansas City...in his outing at Camden Yards, he tossed 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.