Orioles vs Tigers/KC (Wild Card series)

[HowAboutThat]

I think I would prefer seeing Detroit, and here’s why:

We have seen them recently.I know that was addressed and discarded in another comment, but bear in mind that the team that they saw is not the team that is currently taking the field, and we’ve got a good idea how to play them.

We missed Skubal and would face him…yikes.

Maybe I should reconsider….

on the other hand the Royals have Ragans who’s no slouch, and they’ve got a great bullpen….

[SteveA]

Michael Lorenzen came off the IL after almost a month and started for KC last night.   He left the game early with "body fatigue".

[casadeozo]

Would much rather face KC and to me it’s not close. 
 

game 1 agains Skubal is an L. They’ve proven they can beat us with a bullpen game, a bullpen only behind CLE as best in the AL.

[Moose Milligan]

I'd say the Royals...pitch around Witt and Salvy Perez who seems to have had our number in recent years.  The rest of their lineup isn't too imposing.

Wacha  -a guy I wanted this offseason and was laughed at for wanting him- has a 2.64 ERA over his last 15 starts.  He's the soft-tossing type that gives our lineup fits and, IIRC, he was great against us earlier this year.  Lugo has had a great year, so has Ragans.  Their starters are good.

But they're 3-7 over their last 10 while the Tigers are 8-2.  A lot of the postseason, IMO, is catching teams at the right/wrong time.  This could all change by next week but the Tigers are hot, the Royals are not...

Then again, I said I wanted to face Texas in the first round last year and look what happened.  So who knows.

 

[vab]

I'd prefer Detroit - they've been so hot for so long they should be due to cool off. KC has been just the opposite. 

[Malike]

We could have easily swept Detroit in Baltimore, the lineup we have now is not the lineup they faced. It doesn't matter who the opponent is, just win.

[Yossarian]

30 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

The Tigers have 1,426 strikeouts as a team, in 5,321 at bats.

The Orioles have 1,323 strikeouts as a team, in 5,417 at bats.

 

You're right.   It seemed like they didn't strike out much in our 6 games with them.   I even went and added the K's for each team during this 6 games:  O's struck out 50 times,  Los Tigres 55 times. 

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, SteveA said:

We will mock you for this thread after we win tonight, sweep the Twins, the Pirates sweep the Yankees, and we win the division.

I'll happily take the mocking... I think.

Honestly, if the team is hot, I don't want the time off since it didn't help them the last time. I'd rather have the series against the Tigers or Royals and hope they stay hot.

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Moshagge3 said:

We still have a lot of scars from the last time we faced the Royals. The Royals seem to be the easier draw but I'm already having nightmarish visions of Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel hitting bloop single after bloop single.

Adam Frazier beating the Orioles with a bloop single is a horror I don't want to think about.

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, O's84 said:

Tony, do you think Elias is considering McDermott?  

No inside info, just wondering if he'd rather have an extra arm that can miss bats, even if it comes with inexperience. I'd imagine they'll go with the professor and hope he rebounds.

[Just Regular]

Wacha is on MASN right now in a 4-4 game 5th inning with the Nationals.

It could be him Tuesday if the Royals have to use Lugo and Ragans this weekend to get there.

[KojiSplit]

Some of yall really want Detroit and Skubal!?

Detroit last 30 games 22-8

KC last 30 games 12-18

I’m currently listening to Royals radio while walking my daughter in stroller; they reported AJ Hinch made it clear Skubal who is scheduled to pitch Sunday will only do so, if they don’t have a playoff spot locked.

The Tigers don’t care where they play on the road; they simply want Skubal to take the mound in game 1 of the WC round.

[Hallas]

We're better than both teams.  I'd probably prefer KC though I have PTSD from them sweeping us.

 

Didn't we beat Verlander/Scherzer in the playoffs during our last playoff window?

[Malike]

1 minute ago, KojiSplit said:

Some of yall really want Detroit and Skubal!?

Detroit last 30 games 22-8

KC last 30 games 12-18

I’m currently listening to Royals radio while walking my daughter in stroller; they reported AJ Hinch made it clear Skubal who is scheduled to pitch Sunday will only do so, if they don’t have a playoff spot locked.

The Tigers don’t care where they play on the road; they simply want Skubal to take the mound in game 1 of the WC round.

Do you think the Tigers want to face Burnes? 14 IP 0 ER 15K's.

[KojiSplit]

Just now, Malike said:

Do you think the Tigers want to face Burnes? 14 IP 0 ER 15K's.

No but I much rather face a team who is currently not playing well, doesn’t have Skubal and hasn’t hit well with RISP recently.