For the first time since 1985, the city of Kansas City will see postseason baseball. With a 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox Friday night, the Kansas City Royals have clinched a postseason berth. The win gives the Royals a one-game lead over the Oakland Athletics for the top A.L. Wild Card spot and eliminates the Seattle Mariners from the top spot contention although the Mariners are still alive for spot #2. With only two games left, the worst that can happen for the Royals is finishing as the second wild card team.
THE #ROYALS ARE HEADED TO THE #POSTSEASON! Now it’s time to #TAKETHECROWN! pic.twitter.com/RAdBHqJ014
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) September 27, 2014
Closer Greg Holland got White Sox left fielder Michael Taylor to pop out to catcher Salvador Perez to end the game and begin the celebration. Hall of Fame Royals legend George Brett watched the final out from the luxury boxes and joined in the celebration from above the field.
At this point, Kansas City would host the A.L. Wild Card game, which puts them in a good position. Kansas City is riding high, having won 14 games (14-10) in September, seven of those wins coming at home, while Oakland has fallen to a paltry A.L.-worst 9-15 record in the same month. In addition, Oakland has won only four road games. The advantage here clearly goes to Kansas City, especially if they hold onto their one-game lead.
The Royals, though, have further aspirations in mind. They trail the Detroit Tigers by only one game for the A.L. Central title with two games left to play for each team. The Royals will finish their series against the fourth-place White Sox in Chicago while Detroit gets to stay home to play the last-place Minnesota Twins. A Tigers win and a Royals loss Saturday will make Sunday moot.
On paper, the Tigers appear to have the advantage, but they did lose 11-4 to the Twins Friday night. Rookie Kyle Lobstein (1-1, 3.38 ERA) will make only his sixth Major League start for Detroit, and he has not faced this type of clutch pressure yet. Should Detroit need Sunday to clinch the title, then David Price (14-12, 3.36) will get the ball.
Kansas City will send Danny Duffy (9-11, 2.32) to the mound Saturday and throw Yordano Ventura (14-10, 3.07) Sunday if nothing is settled yet.
First and foremost, the Royals are in. The cliche “Anything can happen” holds true, and either Kansas City or Detroit can still win the A.L. Central. With the wild card team getting only one win-or-go-home game, though, winning the division title is vital. The postseason schedule has the A.L. Wild card game on Tuesday, September 30, with the best-of-five ALDS beginning on Thursday, October 2. The division winner will visit the Baltimore Orioles Thursday, but its manager will get to rest his players and set his starting rotation. The wild card manager will pitch his best available in a must-win game.
Congratulations to the Royals for breaking a 29-year postseason drought. Their goal, of course, is far greater than a wild card berth, but they have at least gotten in. Barring a terrible blow this weekend or a loss in the wild card game, Kansas City will have postseason baseball and even home playoff games in October. At this point, the Royals accomplished Goal #1: Get in.
PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Kersey, Getty Images Sport
