Royals' X-factor from Wild Card win vs Orioles was something fans least expected

On Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals won Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series to eliminate the Baltimore Orioles from playoff contention in a sweep, and a large part of the credit to due to arguably the most unexpected section of their roster — the bullpen.

Through the regular season, the Royals bullpen ranked 20th in MLB with a combined ERA of 4.13, 23rd in WHIP at 1.33, and dead last in strikeouts with just 463. With late-inning losses becoming an ongoing problem this season due to subpar bullpen performance, it's safe to say that nobody was expecting the Royals' relief pitching to be the gamechanger it was in Game 2.

KC Royals bullpen stepped up when it mattered most

After cruising through four innings without allowing the Orioles to get on the board, the wheels started to come off for starter Seth Lugo in the fifth inning. First, Baltimore's Cedric Mullins hit a home run to even the score 1-1. Next, Ramón Urías hit a single, and Gunnar Henderson walked. When Jordan Westburg reached on a fielding error by Lugo, it was clear the starter was shaken and the Royals were in trouble.

With bases loaded and just one out, KC manager Matt Quatraro pulled Lugo from the mound, sending in Angel Zerpa to finish the inning. A strikeout to Colton Cowser followed by a ground out by Adley Rutschman, and the Royals were out of an extremely sticky situation, all thanks to a reliever whose late-season struggles resulted in a demotion to Triple-A Omaha not all that long ago.

In the remaining 4 and 2/3 innings, Kansas City utilized five relievers — Zerpa, John Schreiber, Sam Long, Kris Bubic, and Lucas Erceg — and once the Royals took back the lead in the sixth inning, the bullpen made sure it stayed that way. Allowing no more runs and only one hit, the Royals' relievers kept the Orioles' offense at bay, proving that despite a shaky regular season, Kansas City's bullpen definitely can't be counted out.

Lucas Erceg proves his value in KC Royals win

While all five relievers who threw in Game 2 pitched scoreless innings, closer Erceg stood out as a particularly unstoppable force, posting his second save of the series in as many appearances.

In a big move to bolster the team's bullpen for the second half of the season, the Royals acquired Erceg from the Oakland Athletics on July 30 in exchange for Mason Barnett, Will Klein, and Jared Dickey, and it didn't take long for the 29-year-old to prove it was a good decision. Through 23 regular-season appearances (25 innings) with Kansas City, Erceg posted a 2.88 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP and 31 strikeouts, quickly bringing some much needed reliability to the Royals' bullpen.

With their win in the Wild Card series, the Royals' will now advance to the ALDS to take on the top-seeded New York Yankees. Here's hoping the bullpen's newfound consistency is here to stay.