Royals Offensive Pressure Getting to the Orioles

The Kansas City Royals came into this season with the plan to use their ability to make contact and exceptional speed to put pressure on the opposition. Despite not having a true impact bat in the lineup, and despite those times when the offense can look as punchless as Robin Deakin, the Royals have caught fire this postseason, running the opposition into the ground before bludgeoning them into submission with their recent power surge.

Right now, only two games into the American league Championship Series, the Baltimore Orioles may be feeling those effects. Not only have the Orioles never led in this series, they have had to struggle to even come back and tie these games. According to manager Buck Showalter, all that effort is taking a toll on his ballclub.

"“Sometimes you spend so much energy and concentration trying to get back to that point, it’s hard to take that next step,” Showalter said. “But I think about a hundred percent of that is what they’re doing, not what we’re not doing.”"

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As of this point, the offense has been working according to plan for the Royals. They have been able to jump on the Orioles starters early and often, forcing Baltimore to get into their bullpen earlier than they would desire. Even though the Orioles have managed to tie the first two games, they certainly appeared to be emotionally drained just by the process of doing so.

Meanwhile, the Royals pressure based attack has continued to pay dividends. With Terrance Gore and Jarrod Dyson on the bench, any late inning hit can bring the Kansas City Track Team to the field. An already mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted Orioles team simply does not appear to have an answer for the speed and energy that the Royals possess.

Tonight’s game, weather permitting, may be the most pivotal game of the series. With the Royals holding a 2-0 series lead, a Royals victory would likely spell the end of the Orioles hopes. As Dyson himself said in the aforementioned article, “If we take game three, I guarantee there’s going to be multiple people in that clubhouse over there like, ‘Man, ain’t no way we’re going to beat these guys four in a row.’”

The Royals have the Baltimore Orioles on the ropes. A victory tonight, or tomorrow night if the weather does not hold out, may be the knockout blow.