KC Royals Playoffs: Everything you need to know about Wild Card Series vs Orioles

By taking care of their own business, and with a little help from the worst team in baseball, the KC Royals nailed down the fifth seed in the American League playoffs Sunday afternoon. They beat Atlanta 4-2 at Truist Park before learning just moments later that the 121-loss White Sox turned back Detroit 9-5.

That timely coupling of a Kansas City win with a Tiger loss left the two clubs with identical 86-76 regular season records and froze them in a tie for the second AL Wild Card and fifth playoff seed. But because the Royals went into Sunday's season finales holding the tie-breaker, they'll face Baltimore while Detroit squares off against the Astros in Houston.

Here's what to know about the Wild Card Series.

KC Royals Playoffs Schedule vs Orioles in Wild Card Round

Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards is the venue for the best-of-three WCS. The first game is scheduled for 3:08 p.m. CDT Tuesday, first pitch for the second is slated for 3:38 p.m. CDT Wednesday, and if a third contest is necessary, it will begin at a time to be determined Thursday.

The Orioles went 45-37 at Camden Yards this season. The Royals suffered two walk-off losses and won one game in Baltimore and won only two of the six games the teams played.

How did the Royals and Orioles perform this season?

After tying the franchise record for single-season losses with 106 and finishing last in the American League Central for the second straight time in 2023, the Royals restructured and strengthened themselves so well over the winter that they vaulted to second place this year with an 86-76 record, the club's best result since it won the Central in 2015.

Playing in the always-tough AL East, the Orioles contended for the division title most of the season before the Yankees clinched it by battering them 10-1 last Thursday. Baltimore defeated Minnesota Sunday to finish with a 91-71 second-place record.

How can Royals fans follow the Wild Card Series?

Sunday's regular season finale at Atlanta marked the end of Bally Sports Kansas City's television Royals coverage for this year. But the WCS games are available on the ESPN networks, with ESPN2 having Tuesday's telecast before handing things over to ESPN for the rest of the series.

Royals fans who can't watch the games can listen on Kansas City's 96.5 FM The Fan and KFNZ-AM 610, and also on the affiliate stations of the Royals Radio Network.

Who's on the KC Royals' Wild Card Series roster?

Good question. The Royals and Orioles aren't required to submit WCS rosters until Tuesday, and neither club had announced all their choices as late Sunday night. Each has tough decisions to make — after sporting expanded 28-man rosters for the final month of the season, they must get down to postseason rosters of 26 players with 13-pitcher caps.

What is known, though, is Kansas City's starting rotation — Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo will start Games 1 and 2 respectively, and Michael Wacha will get the ball if a third game is necessary. Manager Matt Quatraro also told MLB.com KC beat writer Anne Rogers Sunday that starter Brady Singer is moving to the bullpen for the WCS.

Who the Royals end up trimming from their current roster depends in part on the potential return of first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, whose fractured thumb has kept him on the Injured List since late August. Pasquantino has resumed hitting; if he's available and ready to play by Tuesday, count on the club looking for another player to cut.

What's next for Kansas City?

Should the Royals win the WCS, they'll advance to the best-of-five AL Division Series and play the Yankees in New York. The ALDS begins Oct. 5.

But if they lose, the Royals will head home for the winter.

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