We are screwed

[MrOrange82]

Career OBP for Flaherty, Schoop, Hundley... probably a whole lot worse than that. When's the last playoff team to start three guys with sub-.300 OBPs?

No idea, and I'm not arguing that the O's didn't defy the odds, but playing the imagination/"what if" game is pretty useless, IMO. What if the Yankees' rotation hadn't fallen apart? What if Detroit hadn't gone with Joba and Soria in back-to-back games?

Nevertheless, I don't think a couple of less-bad OBP players spelled the difference for the O's this series. The O's, in general, are a seriously flawed team when it comes to moving batters around the bases. It was like that with Manny, et al., and it's been like that with the scrubs, as well.

[baltfan]

The Royals have struck out the fewest times in baseball for several years running, even when they weren't any good. Contact hitting is no better than any other type of hitting unless it's coupled with power and the ability to get on base.

It might be slightly better in the playoffs. I wish I could find the study that I read that said thta

[kcdreamer]

Right, once the Orioles got very Lucy to score a run.

Royals

The first three runs in game 1 scored on a blooper.

The first two runs in game 2 scored on a blooper.

The last two runs in game 2were on routine grounded in good spots.

The first run tonight scored after back to back bloopers to get two men on base.

The Orioles have about 4 more bloopers in the series and the Rouaks about 4 more too, but they didn't figure in the scoring.

This doesn't diminish the Royals. It is part of the game, but we shouldn't pretend like fortunate hits that are timed to score or lead to runs are a big part of this series. They have been huge and the preponderance have gone the other way. It just is what it is.

What you keep forgetting to mention when talking about scoring on bloopers is that you have to have runners on base when those bloopers happen to score on them. That's why KC's turned into runs and Baltimore's didn't. That and the fact that Cain simply catches any bloopers the O's put out there.

[Surhoffan17]

Not having Matt and Manny is huge, look at the drop off from who fills those spots now. KC isn't this good.

How would the Royals play without Perez, Moustakas, and Hosmer? We are missing a key one-third of our lineup. I think Aaron Crow is hurt for them but how huge of a difference could he make compared to who we lost?

[PaulFolk]

The O's have played like dog****, 'nuff said. Lineup hasnt produced the big hit, Tillman and Norris flubbed, D hasn't been exceptionally stellar, pen has been bad.

Really? Have you been watching a different series than the rest of us? Three close games that easily could've gone the other way if not for a bloop hit or two and some great Royals defensive plays. The Orioles have played OK. The Royals have played better.

[Rojo13]

Gotta agree here. At least in 1997 that Indians team was stacked. I will always believe that we were better than this Royals team and choked. It's been a wonderful season, but maybe for the first time in forever I actually thought we were gonna win. Usually I just assume they'll screw it up. I think that's what hurts the most.

We choked? I guess the starters in game 1 and 2.

But do you guys understand odds? Go to the hoseshoe casino. Go to the poker room. Get dealt Aces. You still lose 20% of the time.

The starting pitching wasn't good in games 1 and 2 otherwise we win one of those games. Here we lose. KC has won 7 GAMES IN A ROW. They are playing great but even Kershaw doesn't win 7 games in a row.

Agree with all this. I have been watching baseball for 31 years and I have never seen a team get so hot and so lucky at the same time. KC is a tidal wave right now. It is really too bad the Royals have so many classless jackwagons on their team because it would be hard NOT to root for them otherwise.

It will be interesting to see how StL or SF handles them. The A's, Angels, and O's have looked like deer in the headlights. The NL winner will have been there before.

Good post. Before this series started, I said to my wife, "We are screwed. We are playing another small market team that seems to be more of a team of destiny than even the Os.

So if we don't rally from 3 down and imitate the 2004 Sox, I'd normally be inclined to root for KC but I'm not sure I can do it. I hate how some of those guys celebrate. So annoying.

But i'd probably still root for them as I hate SF and Stl.

But come on peeps. It's the 10th year anniversary of the 2004 Sox.

History alwas repeats itself.

[kcdreamer]

This is a silly statement. Do you want me to count the number of times in the first two games the Orioles had guys on base and didn't get a bloop hit? Pearce left 6 runners on base in the second game alone.

Again, I'm not disparaging the Royals. I'd take those bloops in a heartbeat, but to act like they aren't happening or, worse, like it is intentional is just silliness.

That's exactly my point. The O's get guys on base and try to hit a 3 run home run. The Royals hope for a chop knock over the pitcher's head or a shallow single, and that's exactly what they've been getting. This isn't the first run like this we've seen as Royals fans. First time in postseason obviously, but not in general. It's only the first run YOU've seen, so you feel like it's all luck. It's a style of play. It's called small ball. Many hate it. This team loves it.

[KChawker]

Lol at the Royals aren't this good. Sure they may not have closed out their division like the O's did. But what they did do prior to the post season was win 4 of 7 from Baltimore. So, if the Royals do win tomorrow that would be 8 out of 11 this year. Baltimore had the better record and hit more hrs...... but they were not and are currently not better than the Royals.

[Guest]

The Royals are trying to get bloop hits? LOL

Been doing it all year. Royals play to set the next guy up.

[kcdreamer]

The Royals are trying to get bloop hits? LOL

No, they're trying to make contact. You do that enough with speed on bases and you get what you're seeing. The fact that this is so hard for people to understand is exactly why it's working for the Royals.

[FlipTheBird]

Really? Have you been watching a different series than the rest of us? Three close games that easily could've gone the other way if not for a bloop hit or two and some great Royals defensive plays. The Orioles have played OK. The Royals have played better.

Same series, I've just taken the Orange-colored glasses off. O's have done very little right short of a strong performance by Wei-Yin tonight. They've had one lead, and it lasted a couple innings.

[eddie83]

That's exactly my point. The O's get guys on base and try to hit a 3 run home run. The Royals hope for a chop knock over the pitcher's head or a shallow single, and that's exactly what they've been getting. This isn't the first run like this we've seen as Royals fans. First time in postseason obviously, but not in general. It's only the first run YOU've seen, so you feel like it's all luck. It's a style of play. It's called small ball. Many hate it. This team loves it.

You don't score consistently at all. Every team has hot streaks, no player tries to bloop a ball over an infielders head. The way your team has scored runs this series is not sustainable but if I was a Royals fan I would not care. They only need 5 more wins.

[tntoriole]

No, they're trying to make contact. You do that enough with speed on bases and you get what you're seeing. The fact that this is so hard for people to understand is exactly why it's working for the Royals.

Go away.

[eddie83]

No, they're trying to make contact. You do that enough with speed on bases and you get what you're seeing. The fact that this is so hard for people to understand is exactly why it's working for the Royals.

Then why did it not work more often before this? Why have the Royals gone through a half dozen hitting coaches in the last couple of seasons. KC has had two batting coaches this year alone.

[glenn__davis]

I mean - obviously KC is not this good. That doesn't mean they're not good at all. But they're not as good as they're playing right now.

They were a roller coaster team all year, and right now that coaster is chugging full speed ahead. O's really haven't played that poorly, they just ran into a buzzsaw.