Orioles eliminated by Royals 2-1 as bats fall silent again
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BALTIMORE—The Orioles entered the Wild Card Series having won five of their last six games, believing that their bats had awakened from a long slumber and they could quickly dispatch with the upstart Kansas City Royals.
In an upset, the Royals, who didn’t cinch the second wild card spot until after the Orioles completed Sunday’s final game of the regular season, beat the Orioles in two games to win the Wild Card series.
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Kansas City scored a 2-1 win over the Orioles before 38,698 at Camden Yards on Wednesday.
The eventual series-winning run scored in the top of the sixth on Bobby Witt’s infield single.
In 18 innings, the Orioles had one run, on Cedric Mullins’ home run, and 11 hits. They lost 1-0 in Game 1 on Tuesday.
After starter Seth Lugo left with one out in the fifth inning, Kansas City’s bullpen allowed only one hit, to Austin Slater with two outs in the eighth, and only one walk, to Jordan Westburg, with two outs in the seventh.
The Royals move on to New York to play the Yankees in the best three-of-five Division Series, beginning Saturday while the Orioles face an offseason with many questions.
Their top starter, Corbin Burnes, who was brilliant in a Game 1 loss and rightfielder Anthony Santander will be free agents.
Their No. 2 starter, Zach Eflin worked just four innings and threw 75 pitches, and manager Brandon Hyde desperately tried to matchup, using six relievers.
Michael Massey led off with a double and moved to third on Witt’s grounder to second. Massey scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s single to left.
MJ Melendez, who overran Ramón Urías’ fly ball in Game 1, made a fine running catch on Urías’ fly to begin the bottom of the third.
The Orioles had their best chance in the bottom of the fourth when Santander led off with a single. After Colton Cowser struck out, Adley Rutschman singled, and with runners on first and second, Ryan O’Hearn hit a sharp liner to second that Massey dove for. His throw to first was in time, and with runners on second and third, Ryan Mountcastle flied to right.
Eflin allowed one run on four hits, walked one and struck out three.
Danny Coulombe got the first two outs of the top of the fifth before Pasquantino singled. Jacob Webb hit Salvador Perez with a pitch, walked Yuli Gurriel before striking out Melendez with the bases loaded.
Mullins led off the fifth with a home run off Lugo. Urías singled. Gunnar Henderson walked, and Westburg singled to load the bases. After Santander popped to first, Angel Zerpa replaced Lugo.
Zerpa struck out Cowser on a pitch that hit him on the left had, and Rutschman grounded to short, and it was tied 1-1 after five.
Kyle Isbel was safe at first on a chopper to third with one out against Cionel Pérez with one out. After Pérez struck out Maikel Garcia, Massey’s bloop single to center sent Massey to third.
Yennier Cano replaced Pérez and Witt was safe on an infield single to Westburg at second, scoring Isbel, and putting the Royals ahead 2-1. Westburg might have had a play at second on Massey, but it appeared that Henderson was too far in the hole to cover second.
While Cano warmed up, Cowser summoned head athletic trainer Brian Ebel to the outfield and he played catch with Mullins, finished the inning, but was replaced by Heston Kjerstad in left.
Zerpa struck out pinch hitter Austin Slater to begin the sixth. Mountcastle struck out against John Schreiber, who retired Mullins on a fly to left and struck out Urías to start the seventh.
Sam Long struck out Henderson, walked Westburg and Santander flied to center to end the seventh.
Kjerstad lined to short and Rutschman grounded to short in the bottom of the eighth against Kris Bubic. Slater singled to left, and Mountcastle hit into a force.
Mullins and Urías grounded out against Lucas Erceg in the ninth, and Henderson struck out to send the Orioles home for the winter.