Royals v. Orioles – Pitching Matchups Preview

The Orioles head to Kansas City for a three-game set against the defending World Series Champion Royals in a rematch of the 2014 ALCS. Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports
The Orioles head to Kansas City for a three-game set against the defending World Series Champion Royals in a rematch of the 2014 ALCS. Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports
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The Royals starting rotation looks to stay strong against a powerful Orioles lineup

The Orioles head to Kansas City for a three-game set against the defending World Series Champion Royals in a rematch of the 2014 ALCS. Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports
The Orioles head to Kansas City for a three-game set against the defending World Series Champion Royals in a rematch of the 2014 ALCS. Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports /

The Royals and Orioles are slated for a three game series, starting tonight at 7:15 PM CT at Kauffman Stadium.

Both teams enter the series leading their respective divisions and coming off series wins against divisional opponents.

Here is Mike Vamosi’s series preview

Here also are some angry Jason La Canfora tweets about the Royals

That tweet was published as the Royals were taking a 2-0 World Series lead against the Mets. Hmm.

This tweet was sent as the Royals were about to come back from four-runs down in the 8th to win game four of the ALDS.

It’s going to be fun weekend. Let’s get started.

Next: Game One - Chris Young seeking rebound

Chris Young has struggled out of the gate’s for Ned Yost‘s Royals, giving up 12 runs in his 13.2 innings pitched in 2016. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Young has struggled out of the gate’s for Ned Yost‘s Royals, giving up 12 runs in his 13.2 innings pitched in 2016. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Thursday: RHP Chris Young (0-3, 7.90 ERA) v. RHP Yovani Gallardo (1-0, 5.90)

Chris Young’s season isn’t getting any easier. It started with a hard luck loss to the Mets, where he opposed Noah Syndergaard, gave up just two hits and two runs, but would have still lost if he hadn’t given up any runs at the pace the Royals offense was moving.

Then he traveled to Houston and gave the all-time most predictably bad performance by a pitcher, giving up six runs over 4.2 IP against the Astros in their little league park.

The A’s were the next team to jump on Young, who previously cited better execution by his opponent as the reason for his struggle, now talked about mechanical issues in this outing.

This time around, he will face the Orioles, one of the most potent power offenses in baseball, riding into Kansas City with 25 home runs to their name, the second highest total in baseball.

That doesn’t exactly bode well for an extreme fly ball pitcher whose one mark on his career has been giving up the long ball.

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However, he is pitching at home, in front of a ridiculous Royals defense, that are doing this against fly balls.

He will be opposed by a familiar face in Yovani Gallardo, who was tied to the Royals in numerous rumors this offseason before signing a two-year, $22 million deal in Baltimore. 

He has spent all but one season in the National League with the Brewers, but did face the Royals once last year, going seven innings and giving up two runs.

He doesn’t figure to be a tremendous matchup for the Royals, being another deceptive soft-tossing pitcher, a mold the Royals haven’t fared well against in the past.

He sits in the 88-92 MPH range, and his slider has been his go-to breaking ball, throwing it about 32% of the time

Must-See Matchup – Yovani Gallardo v. Mike Moustakas

I probably *should* have made this about Chris Young and the Orioles lineup (because that’s probably more important) but Gallardo throws a sinker! And Moustakas is raking everything! But he smashes sinkers more!

I would note that his “sinker” is more like a two-seam fastball. I would compare it more to what Brooks Baseball calls Edinson Volquez‘s two-seam fastball. 

Either way, Gallardo is a right-hander who’s most used pitch (29% thus far in 2016) moves right into the sweet spot of Moustakas’ swing path. 

Moustakas has been, by far, the Royals best hitter, slugging at a .569 clip so far this season with five early home runs.

Moustakas is hitting .353 with three extra-base hits (including two home runs) over his past four games, so be on the look out for him to stay hot.

Next: Game Two - Kris Medlen looks to stay hot

Kris Medlen has been everything and more for the Royals out of the fifth spot in the rotationm, with a 2.38 ERA in his two starts. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Kris Medlen has been everything and more for the Royals out of the fifth spot in the rotationm, with a 2.38 ERA in his two starts. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Saturday: RHP Kris Medlen (1-0, 2.38 ERA) v. TBD

Kris Medlen thus far has been everything the Royals expected him to be when Dayton Moore signed him last year.

The hope was that, after he recovered from his injury, that he would become a similar starting pitcher to the guy he was in 2013. So far, Medlen has been better, giving up just three earned runs over his 11.1 innings and, even more encouragingly, striking out 11 batters during that span.

The eight walks aren’t encouraging, but given his sporadic work schedule so far this season, inconsistent command is understandable. Since giving up two runs in the first inning of his first start on April 12, Medlen has given up just one earned run over 10.1 innings.

With Chris Young’s struggles and some very iffy rotational depth (albeit a lot of rotational depth), Medlen’s success will be absolutely huge. Specifically, in the innings column.

Kansas City will remember Jeremy Guthrie fondly, not just for his lovable antics and productive first two seasons in Kansas City, but also for his notorious inning eating abilities.

The Royals rotation has dominated so far, but are in the bottom half of the league in innings. Medlen’s production is fantastic, but it is just icing on the cake, as long as Medlen is eating innings and protecting a bullpen that will surely be used liberally as games get more and more high leverage.

The Orioles enter the series well rested, with a postponement on Sunday and an off day on Monday. However, the rotation was also mixed up, so there is no set starter for Saturday. The Royals will likely see either Vance Worley or Chris Tilllman.

Worley could be the likely culprit, with him never facing the Royals and Tillman giving up eight runs in 11.1 innings of work against the Royals last year in his two starts against Kansas City.

Must-See Matchup – Vance Worley (potentially) v. Mike Moustakas!

Can anybody guess why? Yes, you are correct, Kings of Kauffman reader:

Vance Worley throws a sinker!

In fact, he’s thrown it about 35% of the time this season and threw it a whopping 51% of the time last September.

I’m kind of stretching here because we don’t have a definite starter for Baltimore and hardly any Oriole hitters have experience against Medlen.

But, it is another possible right-handed starter with a sinker against Moustakas, who is smashing everything right now.

If it is Tillman, the whole lineup will smash.

Next: Game Three - Yordano Ventura seeks rhythm

Yordano Ventura has been effective in his first three starts, but has still lacked efficiency and consistency. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Yordano Ventura has been effective in his first three starts, but has still lacked efficiency and consistency. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

Sunday: RHP Yordano Ventura (1-0, 2.81 ERA) v. Mike Wright (1-1, 5.73 ERA)

So far in 2016, Yordano Ventura has been pretty Yordano Ventura-ish. He has struck out 17 in his 16 innings of work, but has also walked 12, and has failed to go at least six innings in two of his three starts.

He has also not thrown over 100 pitches in a start yet in 2016.

He has been effective, however, giving up just five runs in those 16 innings.

The only thing the Royals rotation has struggled with thus far is efficiency, having just two starts of at least seven innings of work to their name.

Despite the positive results, Ventura has been the microcosm of this issue, struggling with his command, and at times even his control, while walking a tight rope for much of his 5-6 innings of work.

I expect Ventura to find his rhythm. His ability to maneuver past the walks and lack of command show just how good his stuff is. When he finds his rhythm, he could really do some damage.

He will be opposed by Mike Wright, a 26-year old righty with a drastically different journey to the major leagues to Ventura’s.

Wright is a former third round draft pick, who countered his minor league seasons with strokes of brilliance and struggle.

He pitched above his age level nearly every step of the way, despite not being drafted out of high school.

However, his time in the Major Leagues has been tumultuous at best, and giving his progressed age due to his late start, is already running against his own clock, something that Ventura has never really faced.

They both have similar arsenal’s this season, with Ventura’s velocity being down, as both average around 94-96 on their fastballs. Write throws a 90 MPH sinker (!!) into the mix, and while in the past has featured a curveball, has seemingly ditched the pitch in favor of a slider-changeup offspeed combo.

The Royals face him once in 2015, tagging him for four runs in five innings.

Must-See Matchup – Mike Wright v. Lorenzo Cain

In that said start against the Royals, Cain drove in two of the four runs on two home runs. It was Cain’s second multi-home run game of his career.

Right now, Lorenzo is reeling, hitting just .222 and striking out in 28% of his at-bats.

He could use a boost, and although he only has three at-bats against Wright, maybe those two home runs were coincidental.

Next: Royals-Orioles Series Preview

Hopefully, he just sees Wright really well, can capitalize on Sunday, and hopefully get hot. And Maybe Alex Gordon will follow.

He also throws a sinker, so watch out for a Moose.

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