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THE RUNDOWN: ALCS Preview

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The last time the Orioles were about to play in the League Championship Series, I was 11-years-old, so to say that I will be enjoying every second of this is an understatement. I can’t wait to hear how loud Camden Yards will be in the first two games and if the series comes back to Baltimore. I have been to many games in my life, including Ravens playoff games with Ray Lewis being introduced, and I have never heard anything louder in my life than the noise that echoed throughout the stadium after Delmon Young’s go ahead 3-run double in game two of the division series.

ALCS ROSTERS ANNOUNCED

The rosters of both teams have been announced and for the Orioles the only change occurs with the pitching staff. Ubaldo Jimenez is off the roster while Brian Matusz is back on. Not surprising with the lefty hitters in the Royals lineup. I thought there would be a chance Jimmy Paredes would be left off in favor of T.J. McFarland, but Buck must want Paredes coming off as a pinch hitter late in the game.

I will say this, rest easy my fellow O’s fans. The Royals left Raul Ibanez off of their roster this series. Too soon?

J…..J….HAAAAARDY EXTENDED

I was already planning an offseason article ranking the order of importance for the pending Orioles free agents and J.J. Hardy was going to be at the top of my list. We can debate with Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis, but Hardy was clearly the number one priority and I am glad the organization felt the same way. This became a no-brainer after Manny Machado went under his second knee surgery in the summer.

With reports coming out that the Orioles want Nelson Cruz to stick around for awhile, the organization is working hard to keep the window of opportunity open longer than most people thought. With the O’s getting ready to face the Kansas City Royals for the right to advance to the World Series, Dan Duquette and company are trying to find a way to keep this organization at a place where this can happen more often. It all started with a huge message of locking up one of the best defensive shortstops in all of baseball.

BATTLE OF THE BULLPENS

The goal for most teams facing the Orioles is score against the starters early before the bullpen comes in. This can be said for the Royals as well. The bullpens from both teams are lock down as the O’s finished 3rd in the American League with a 3.10 ERA and the Royals finished 5th with a 3.30 ERA.

Kansas City’s closer Greg Holland finished 3rd in the majors with 46 saves and an ERA of 1.44. However, the name to focus on is their shut down 8th inning specialist Wade Davis. Davis allowed eight earned runs for the ENTIRE regular season. He did allow a run in the postseason, so there’s hope!

We all know how great the O’s bullpen has been this season so it will be fun watching how Buck Showalter and Ned Yost manage late in ballgames to try and scrape a run across the plate that could lead to victory.

OFFENSIVE PHILOSOPHIES

The Orioles hope for the 3-run homerun and the Royals hope to get a bloop single, steal second, sacrifice bunt to advance runner to third then finish with a base hit or sacrifice fly to get the runner across home plate.. Power vs. speed. We will see what prevails, but it is funny to think the Royals led all of baseball in steals, but finished dead last in home runs while the O’s finished first in all of baseball in home runs, but dead last in steals.

Buck Showalter has preached since the day he arrived that pitchers have to hold runners and have a fast time to the plate or they can’t pitch in the big leagues. With the combination of Caleb Joseph, Nick Hundley and the emphasis of the pitchers to be quicker to home plate, we will see if all of the practice pays off.

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