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October 4, 2014

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Royals, Orioles draw first blood

THE Kansas City Royals won a second-straight extra-innings playoff game, beating the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Thursday to take the opening game of their American League division series.

Having scraped past the Oakland Athletics in a dramatic wildcard playoff, the Royals — back in the playoffs for the first time in 29 years — rode their luck again and came through with a valuable road victory that positions them well in the best-of-5 series.

The day’s other ALDS opener was less tense, with Baltimore cruising to a 12-3 victory over Detroit.

Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas homered off Fernando Salas leading off the 11th inning to not only clinch the win but also provide the first extra-inning homer in Royals’ playoff history.

“It’s probably the biggest one I’ve ever hit so far,” said Moustakas, a Los Angeles native who had friends and family members in the stands. “It felt really amazing.”

Game 2 in the series is today in Anaheim, with Angels’ 16-game winner Matt Shoemaker taking on fellow rookie pitcher Yordano Ventura.

Alcides Escobar had an early RBI double for the Royals, and that was countered by early homers for the Angels from Chris Iannetta and David Freese.

Winning pitcher Danny Duffy worked the 10th for Kansas City, and Greg Holland picked up the save after arriving at the ballpark around the fourth inning, having travelled to North Carolina to attend his child’s birth.

Angels’ star Mike Trout was 0 for 4 with a walk in his playoff debut. The favorite for AL MVP grounded into a fielder’s choice in the 10th before Albert Pujols popped out to end his 0-for-4 Angels playoff debut.

In Baltimore, the Orioles set a club playoff scoring record by hammering the Tigers 12-3.

Nelson Cruz and JJ Hardy homered, while Jonathan Schoop and Alejandro De Aza each had two hits and two RBI for the Orioles, who turned a close game into a rout with an eight-run eighth inning.

The 12 runs set a postseason record for Baltimore, which is making only its second playoff appearance since 1997.

Game 2 of the series is today, again at Camden Yards when Detroit’s Justin Verlander — the second of three straight Cy Young winners the Tigers will put on the pitching mound in this series — to go up against Chen Wei-yin.




 

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