Kansas City, in its first postseason game since 1985, fell behind, 7-3, in the sixth inning of the 2014 American League Wild Card game in Kansas City.
Advertisement
These teams have never met in the postseason….
The Kansas City Royals are once again in the playoffs, this time after capturing their first Central Division title.
The Los Angeles Dodgers even took note of the fact that this strategy tends to pay off with the way today’s game is played, and the Astros are no stranger to finding new and improved ways to leave the diamond with a “w”.
He allowed one run and four hits over seven innings – striking out 11 – on Saturday in Minnesota. The Astros are known for their power, smashing a league-leading 232 home runs. Altuve, Castro, Keuchel and infielder Marwin Gonzalez were all with the Astros in 2012 and 2013.
I am very impressed with how the Royals were able to pick themselves up and reclaim home field advantage during the last few games.
With a starting rotation that gobbled up innings last year, the Royals only needed 464 out of their bullpen.
Only one of the two National League Division Series is set before the Cubs and Pirates square off tonight.
Veteran Jason Frasor and rookie Brandon Finnegan pitched well in the playoffs last year, but Hochevar, Duffy and Franklin Morales are widely considered upgrades.
The 1985 World Series is something Dave Bales said he remembers well as he was inside for the game.
So while Kansas City had three players belt 20 or more homers this season – three more than last season – the reigning AL champs still win with the same formula they used a year ago.
Much like Tuesday night in the Bronx seemed to galvanize the young Astros. Each struck out a bunch this season and had low averages, so they need to hit the ball out in order to play a positive role in this game. Still a lot of baseball to go before the Houston Astros’ left-hander can get mentioned in that air space. McHugh is a 19 game winner with a 3.89 ERA this year. But the Royals are doing everything they can to stay at the dance, and it will be more fun to watch them stick around than fade away.
“I’m glad we’re done with the first part of our season”. Both were painstakingly built through the draft.
Houston manager A.J. Hinch rolls out righty closer Luke Gregerson, who led the Astros pen with 31 saves, and picked up the first postseason save of his career against New York.
“I know it’s a hot topic”, Matheny said. “So it has been a pretty good year; a really good year”.
Major League players – and coaches, for that matter – can feel slighted, too.
If we learned anything from last year’s insane AL Wild Card game between the Oakland A’s and the Kansas City Royals, it might be just this – expect the road team to put out a historic effort. We’ve seen historic performances, teams that rose above expectations, and other story lines that have made for an intriguing regular season. Fans from across the baseball landscape were reacquainted with this franchise, once a perennial contender and a familiar autumn presence for those of us who are old enough to recall the disco era firsthand.
Advertisement
Then there is the difference in their ballparks. But that may have spoiled the Astros, since the Royals Kauffman Stadium isn’t quite as homer friendly. “We have to find a way to beat that club”.
