ALCS Schedule 2014: Dates, TV Info and Preview for Orioles vs. Royals
In almost any other season, the Baltimore Orioles reaching the American League Championship Series would be an underdog story most of the country could get behind.
After all, Baltimore may have a storied past, but it has been stuck as the third (or sometimes fourth) fiddle for the past decade in the American League East behind the likes of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox and even the Tampa Bay Rays.
However, this is not any other year.
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The country is swept up in Kansas City Royals fever after the team won a thrilling Wild Card Round showdown with the Oakland Athletics and then knocked out the No. 1 seed Los Angeles Angels.
Now, Baltimore and Kansas City will face off for the right to represent the American League in the World Series. Here is a look at the complete schedule and TV info for the ALCS.
American League Championship Series Schedule
| Friday, Oct. 10 | 1 | 8 p.m. | Royals at Orioles | TBS |
| Saturday, Oct. 11 | 2 | 4 p.m. | Royals at Orioles | TBS |
| Monday, Oct. 13 | 3 | 8 p.m. | Orioles at Royals | TBS |
| Tuesday, Oct. 14 | 4 | 8 p.m. | Orioles at Royals | TBS |
| Wednesday, Oct. 15 | 5* | 4 p.m. | Orioles at Royals | TBS |
| Friday, Oct. 17 | 6* | 8 p.m. | Royals at Orioles | TBS |
| Saturday, Oct. 18 | 7* | 8 p.m. | Royals at Orioles | TBS |
Preview
One reason this is such an intriguing series is the fact that the Royals have not been to the World Series since 1985, while the Orioles have been shut out of the Fall Classic since 1983.
Not that Chicago Cubs fans would feel sorry for either, but that is a lot of championship-less baseball.
Kansas City has captured the nation’s attention because it is finally winning again and doing so in dramatic fashion. In fact, the Royals became the first team in MLB history to win three straight playoff games that went to extra innings, starting with the wild-card affair with Oakland.
Perhaps because Kansas City has won so many nail-biters, pitcher James Shields made a point of saying that his team is not scared of the AL East champions, according to Dave Skretta of The Associated Press, via The News Journal: “We’re not afraid of those guys. We’re going to go out there and play our game.”
Shields will pitch in Game 1, as both squads were given the opportunity to set their rotations after division-series sweeps. Baltimore will likely counter with Chris Tillman in a matchup that we could see as many as three times in the ALCS if it goes the distance.
Kansas City beat the Orioles in four of the seven head-to-head showdowns during the regular season (a formula it would gladly take again in the ALCS), although the last matchup was back on May 18.
They may not have played each other recently, but the strategy for each team remains the same. Baltimore led the majors in home runs, while the Royals were the only team in all of baseball to hit fewer than 100 long balls during the season. Instead, Kansas City led the league with 153 steals, while Baltimore finished in last place with 44.
Expect to hear plenty of small ball versus power storylines leading up to and throughout the series.
Ultimately, the ALCS will likely come down to pitching, and that is not a bad thing for either squad. Baltimore’s starting rotation finished fifth in ERA, while Kansas City’s checked in at fourth.
The bullpens are also strong. Kansas City features Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland, who combined for a 1.28 ERA during the season, while Baltimore counters with the likes of Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter and Andrew Miller.
The extra rest after the sweep of the Angels will benefit Herrera, who strained his forearm. Although, Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star probably doesn’t think Herrera needs it if the pitcher is truly indestructible:
Interestingly, Dayn Perry of CBS Sports looked beyond the players and gave a sizable advantage to the Baltimore Orioles in the manager showdown between Buck Showalter and Ned Yost:
"Not a difficult call. Yost is relentlessly uncreative and inefficient with his relief decisions, while Showalter is maybe the best staff manager in the game today. Yost's postseason reliance on "small ball tactics," which are occasionally called for but self-defeating when used to excess, are another concern. Tactically, Showalter towers over Yost.
"
Manager advantage or not, it will be intriguing to see if Baltimore can contain Kansas City’s small-ball approach, while the Royals will look to limit the Orioles’ impressive power.
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