The Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles made quick work of the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers in their respective ALDS series. After completing sweeps on Sunday, the two teams will now face off for the right to go to the World Series.
Kansas City Sweeps Los Angeles with 8-3 Win on Sunday
For the first time this postseason, the Kansas City Royals weren’t involved in an extra-innings game. The result, however, was no different.
Kansas City easily won their Game 3 matchup with the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, 8-3. The victory sends the Angels home after a disappointing series while the Royals hope to punch their ticket to the World Series.
The Royals got some late game heroics from Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer in Games 1 and 2. Each hit a home run in extra innings to propel Kansas City to victories and both were back at it on Sunday. Hosmer hit a two-run home run in the third inning to help break things open and give the Royals a commanding 5-1 lead. As the Angels tried to claw their way back on Pujols’ home run in the top of the fourth, Moustakas hit one of his own in the bottom of the inning to push the lead back to four runs.
Alex Gordon got Kansas City going with a bases loaded double in the first inning.
Pitcher James Shields got the win after going six innings for the Royals. In contrast, Los Angeles got next to nothing from their starter, C.J. Wilson, who was promptly pulled after falling behind 3-1 and pitching only 2/3 of an inning.
For the first time in the series, the Angels got some power from their two offensive stars, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Each hit a solo home run, but it wasn’t nearly enough with the Royals’ offense clicking. Even with the home runs, the pair had a disappointing postseason overall. In his playoff debut, the home run was Trout’s only hit of the series as he went 1-12 with a .083 batting average. Pujols wasn’t much better, going 2-12, batting .167.
The Angels’ offense as a whole was more than disappointing. The team was the highest scoring offense in the regular season, but combined for only six runs in the series.
Orioles Reach ALCS after Sweep over Tigers
The Baltimore Orioles seemed overmatched at the beginning of their series with the Detroit Tigers, facing three consecutive Cy Young Award winners in Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and David Price. By the end of the series, however, the O’s had beaten all three.
Baltimore completed its unlikely sweep over a strong Tigers pitching staff with a 2-1 victory on Sunday. Price was the hard luck loser for Detroit on Sunday after giving up only two runs over eight innings pitched. Baltimore starter Bud Norris got the win after pitching 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits.
Nelson Cruz‘ two-run homer off of Price proved to be the game-winning hit. For that matter, it was the only offense by either side for 8 1/2 innings.
The Orioles held a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth and didn’t escape without some drama. Closer Zach Britton allowed back-to-back doubles by Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez to open the inning and cut the lead to 2-1. But after a strikeout and intentional walk, Britton got pinch hitter Hernan Perez to ground out into a game-ending double play.
Miguel Cabrera was one of the few bright spots in the series for an offense that fell flat. Cabrera was 0-4 in the finale, but hit a team-best .364 with one home run in the series. Overall, Detroit scored only a total of ten runs in the three games against Baltimore and was unable to support a pitching staff that many felt was the best in baseball.
Baltimore now advances to face Kansas City in the ALCS.
