American League Wild Card Recap
By Jose Rodriguez
Kansas City Royals vs Baltimore Orioles
In the best of three series for the AL wild card, the Kansas City Royals faced off against the Baltimore Orioles in two intense games. In game one, the Royals secured a narrow 1-0 victory in a thrilling pitching duel. Cole Ragans showcased his prowess by striking out eight batters in six shutout innings. The trio of Sam Long, Kris Bubic, and Lucas Erceg combined to pitch three more shutout innings. Allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out two. Despite a commendable performance by Baltimore’s pitcher Corbin Burnes, who gave up only one run in eight innings and struck out three, the Orioles struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, going 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. The game’s only run came in the sixth inning when Bobby Witt Jr., most likely he will be the AL runner-up MVP, over Aaron Judge of the Yankees, delivered a clutch base hit to left field, securing the win for the Royals.
The Royals aimed to clinch the series in game two with a 1-0 lead in the series. They swiftly took the lead when Vinnie Pasquantino’s single to right field put them ahead 1-0 in the first inning. The score remained unchanged until the fifth inning when Cedric Mullins smashed a home run to right center field, marking his first career playoff home run and the only run scored by the Orioles in the entire series. Again, Witt Jr., for back-to-back games, his base hit proved to be the deference of the game as he beat out an infield hit to give Kansas City a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Despite the Orioles’ efforts, the Royals emerged victorious, advancing to the American League Division Series (ALDS) to face the New York Yankees. Witt gets another big hit to send the Royals into ALDS with a 2-game sweep of the Orioles (msn.com)
Detroit Tigers vs Houston Astros
The Detroit Tigers, with their red-hot performance from mid-August to the end of September, made it to the postseason for the 17th time in their historic career. They traveled to Houston to face the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park in Texas. Tarik Skubal, who leads the American League in all triple-crown categories in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts, and most likely he will win the AL Cy Young Award, showcased his skills as the ace of the Tigers’ pitching staff. He pitched six shutout innings, striking out six batters and allowing only four hits in the game.
The Tigers scored all three of their runs in the second inning with two outs and runners in scoring position. Jake Rogers singled through the diving shortstop, and the Tigers added two more runs with hits from Trey Sweeney and Matt Vierling. The Astros attempted a late-inning rally in the ninth, but the Tigers, showing their determination and fighting spirit, managed to hold on. The game ended with a dramatic final out as Jason Heyward hit a line drive to first baseman Victor Caratini with the bases loaded.
In the second game of the American League wild card series, Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown pitched 5.2 innings and allowed only two hits and one earned run while striking out nine batters. The Tigers, showcasing their strategic planning and adaptability, used a bullpen approach, deploying seven different pitchers to counter the Astros’ strong offense.
The game remained scoreless until the sixth inning when Parker Meadows broke the scoreless game with a home run to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. However, the Astros fought back in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead. The resilient Tigers managed to tie the game in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for an intense and competitive postseason showdown. On a wild pitch, Andy Ibanez, the pinch hitter batting for Zach McKinstry, put together the finishing touches when he delivered the go-ahead run with a two-outs double in the inning as he scored all three runs with the bases loaded. Will Vest came into the game in the ninth as he completely shut down the Astros, recording all three outs in the game. For Houston it ends their run of seven straight American League Championship Series (ALCS) run, as they will not be one of the final four teams remaining in the year playoff bracket. The Houston Astros will miss the ALCS for the first time since 2016 (msn.com) The Tigers are now moving on to face the Cleveland Guardians for the American League Division Series (ALDS).