Johnny Cueto will pitch the second game and Edinson Volquez will start Game 3, with the rest of the rotation to be announced only if Games 4 and 5 are necessary.
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Kauffman Stadium was packed frequently this year and if the fans can replicate the loudness and get in the opposing teams’ heads then the Royals should be able to play their best baseball possible.
“We just knew”, first baseman Eric Hosmer said, “that the game was over”. We’re in for yet another exciting round of October baseball here in Kansas City. Danny Duffy’s move from the rotation to the relief corps gives Kansas City a power lefty.
The Royals will wait to find out who they will play against in the ALDS, with the Astros and Yankees set to face off in a Wild Card matchup Tuesday.
“It’s not too sweet and of course you don’t taste the blue”, owner Barbara Shatto said. “We’ll make a final decision on that probably tomorrow”. And when the waiver deadline approached, Moore sent an infielder to Atlanta for Jonny Gomes, filling the need for a hitter who can handle left-handed pitchers.
That is not to say the Royals have not gone through adversity this season.
There’s only one “H” in the bullpen these days, now that Holland required Tommy John surgery. Or even the everyday lineup, where All-Star left-fielder Alex Gordon missed a good chunk of the summer with a severe groin strain, one that kept him out until there was a month left in the season. But with expectations of success from last season, the Royals kept plugging along, never slumping until early September. They were the team to beat in the American League all season long and it would have sucked for them to have home field advantage stripped away from them in the last week of the season.
Veteran Jason Frasor and rookie Brandon Finnegan pitched well in the playoffs a year ago, but Hochevar, Duffy and Franklin Morales are widely considered upgrades. I remember going to games previous year and it was just such an unreal environment.
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Hamels started the final game of the MLB regular season, which helped the Rangers win the AL West title, so Gallardo will get the nod against the league’s best offense in Toronto on Thursday.
