Royals Vs. Orioles — An ALCS Primer

Here we go! The two teams who entered the ALDS as underdogs are set to face one another in the ALCS after sweeping a pair of teams who, on paper, seemed much stronger. Both the Royals and Orioles showcased their respective strengths in the ALDS, and it will be fascinating to see how both teams perform against one another, beginning Friday. In the case of Kansas City speed, defense, and the bullpen ruled the day, while the Orioles counter with a solid bullpen and some pretty powerful bats. Regardless who comes out of the Championship Series as victors, one thing is certain: the upcoming matchup, between two teams promises to be exciting.

The New What Next: Royals vs. Angels — An ALDS Primer

After a good number of well executed sac-bunts, seven stolen bases, and a 12th inning act of heroics from Salvador Perez, the Kansas City Royals find themselves as participants in this year’s ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Suffice it to say, the Angels became an indestructible force this season. Tacking on 20 wins to its 2013 total, Los Angeles earned home-field advantage through the AL playoffs, boasting a pretty powerful lineup which includes some guy named Mike Trout — maybe you’ve heard of him.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Last Game of the Series, 5-4

Well, that certainly wasn’t the most operative way to end the series against Kansas City. The Royals took the finale by a score of 5-4, in what should be described as a total team loss.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Rally to 4-3 Win

Think back to last weekend, when Tampa Bay was crushed by Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers. There was a tacit line of thought that the Rays would need to prove they could bounce back from the loss, if they were going to make a realistic push going forward. They inevitably took three consecutive games, and the series, from the Tigers. And similar to last week, the Rays were able to bounce back from a tough loss, taking the second game of the series from the Royals by a score of 4-3. It was a gritty victory against a very tough Jason Vargas, but Tampa Bay, led Brandon Guyer and Brad Boxberger, proved its mettle Tuesday night.