Final
Royals-Orioles Preview
Sep 11, 2015 - 2:09 AM While the Kansas City Royals hope to fix a sputtering offense in time for the playoffs, the Baltimore Orioles aren't ready to give up on their postseason hopes.As Lorenzo Cain looks to keep giving Baltimore nightmares, the Royals will try to avoid a sixth loss in seven games Friday night in their first visit to Camden Yards since the ALCS.
Kansas City (83-56) is well on its way back to the playoffs with an 11-game division lead. The club, however, has hit .189 with runners in scoring position while totaling 15 runs in its last six.
The Royals went 0 for 8 in those situations in Wednesday's 3-2, 12-inning home loss to Minnesota. Salvador Perez is 2 for 24 over his last seven games, while Alcides Escobar has hit .161 in his past 14.
"We just have to bounce back," second baseman Ben Zobrist told MLB's official website.
Cain, batting .350 over his last 16 games, is the last hitter the Orioles want to see. The All-Star went 8 for 12 over the first three of a four-game sweep en route to MVP honors in last year's ALCS.
He then went 6 for 13 to help Kansas City take three of four from Baltimore (67-72) in late August.
The Royals have averaged 5.2 runs in winning nine of 10 matchups, including last postseason. Alex Rios went 6 for 11 against Baltimore last month, while Mike Moustakas was 8 for 14 with two homers.
The Orioles' rotation had a 6.77 ERA during a 3-15 stretch before allowing a total of four runs in back-to-back wins at Yankee Stadium.
Though it will have to pass several other teams, Baltimore isn't conceding its chances after moving within six games of the second wild-card spot on Thursday's day off when Texas lost.
''We're going to try and win out," manager Buck Showalter said. "Crazier things have happened.''
Rookie right-hander Mike Wright (2-4, 5.19 ERA) will be making his first start against the Royals and his second after missing more than a month due to a strained calf.
On just three days' rest after pitching for Triple-A Norfolk, Wright surrendered three runs and seven hits over four innings in Saturday's 5-1 loss at Toronto. He's posted a 10.67 ERA over his last four starts.
Kansas City's Danny Duffy has gone 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA over his last 12 starts. The left-hander appears to be in a battle with Kris Medlen for the fourth and final spot in the playoff rotation.
After Medlen allowed two runs over six innings Wednesday, Duffy (7-7, 4.17) will try to build on his longest outing in six starts. He gave up four runs and tied a season high with seven strikeouts over seven in Saturday's 6-1 home loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Duffy has pitched well against Baltimore, going 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts. In his only matchup this season, he yielded two runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 3-2 win.
Adam Jones is 1 for 9 off him, while Chris Davis and Manny Machado are both 0 for 6. Jones, hitting .146 in his last 13 games, is expected back after missing the last two with a sore shoulder.
Davis is 11 for 23 with five home runs and 10 RBIs over a seven-game hitting streak, but he's batting .111 with 18 strikeouts in his last 11 against Kansas City.
- KANSAS CITY: 8
BALTIMORE: 14
Final
Sep 11 11:07 PM - Mike Moustakas singles to left field. Kendrys Morales to second. Lorenzo Cain scores. Ben Zobrist scores.
Royals 8, Orioles 15 Top 9, 2 OutsSep 11 11:03 PM - Moustakas singled to left, Zobrist scored, L.Cain scored, K.Morales to second.
Royals 8, Orioles 14 Top 9, 2 OutsSep 11 11:02 PM - Clevenger homered to right on a full count, C.Davis scored, Pearce scored, Schoop scored.
Royals 6, Orioles 14 Bot 8, 1 OutSep 11 10:49 PM - Steve Clevenger homers to center field. Jonathan Schoop scores. Steve Pearce scores. Chris Davis scores.
Royals 6, Orioles 15 Bot 8, 1 OutSep 11 10:49 PM - Pearce doubled to center, A.Jones scored, C.Davis to third.
Royals 6, Orioles 10 Bot 8, 1 OutSep 11 10:40 PM - Steve Pearce doubles to center field. Chris Davis to third. Adam Jones scores.
Royals 6, Orioles 11 Bot 8, 1 OutSep 11 10:39 PM - Reimold homered off the left field foul pole on a 2-0 count, Schoop scored, Clevenger scored, G.Parra scored.
Royals 6, Orioles 8 Bot 8, 1 OutSep 11 10:30 PM - Nolan Reimold homers to left field. Gerardo Parra scores. Steve Clevenger scores. Jonathan Schoop scores.
Royals 6, Orioles 9 Bot 8, 1 OutSep 11 10:30 PM - S.Perez singled to center, L.Cain scored, K.Morales to second.
Royals 6, Orioles 4 Top 8, 2 OutsSep 11 10:06 PM - Salvador Perez singles to center field. Kendrys Morales to second. Lorenzo Cain scores.
Royals 6, Orioles 5 Top 8, 2 OutsSep 11 10:06 PM - Chris Davis singles to deep right field. Manny Machado scores.
Royals 5, Orioles 5 Bot 7, 2 OutsSep 11 9:45 PM - Joseph grounded into fielder's choice, third baseman Moustakas to second baseman Zobrist, C.Davis scored, Pearce to third, Schoop out.
Royals 4, Orioles 3 Bot 6, 1 OutSep 11 9:23 PM - Caleb Joseph reaches on a fielder's choice to third base. Jonathan Schoop out at second. Steve Pearce to third. Chris Davis scores.
Royals 4, Orioles 4 Bot 6, 0 OutsSep 11 9:22 PM - Joseph hit an infield single to shortstop, C.Davis scored, Pearce to third, Schoop to second.
Royals 4, Orioles 3 Bot 6, 0 OutsSep 11 9:17 PM - Joseph grounded into fielder's choice, second baseman Zobrist unassisted, C.Davis scored, Schoop out.
Royals 3, Orioles 2 Bot 4, 2 OutsSep 11 8:30 PM - Caleb Joseph reaches on a fielder's choice to second base. Jonathan Schoop out at second. Chris Davis scores.
Royals 3, Orioles 2 Bot 4, 1 OutSep 11 8:30 PM - Alcides Escobar doubles to right field. Salvador Perez scores.
Royals 3, Orioles 0 Top 2, 2 OutsSep 11 7:44 PM - Rios hit a sacrifice fly to center fielder A.Jones, K.Morales scored, S.Perez to second.
Royals 2, Orioles 0 Top 2, 2 OutsSep 11 7:41 PM - Alex Rios out on a sacrifice fly to center field to Adam Jones. Salvador Perez to second. Kendrys Morales scores.
Royals 2, Orioles 0 Top 2, 1 OutSep 11 7:41 PM - Ben Zobrist grounds out to shortstop, J.J. Hardy to Steve Pearce.
Sep 11 7:09 PM - KANSAS CITY: 0
BALTIMORE: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Sep 11 7:08 PM
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