Royals vs. Orioles: Game 1 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 MLB Playoffs

The Kansas City Royals saved all of their home runs for the postseason.

Alex Gordon delivered a go-ahead solo homer and Mike Moustakas followed with a two-run shot of his own in the top of the 10th inning to give the Royals an 8-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night at Camden Yards.

The Orioles fell victim to a growing trend: They got caught up in an extra-inning game with Kansas City. The Royals are no strangers to late-inning heroics in the 2014 postseason, having won four extra-inning games already.

An inning before Kansas City took the lead, the Royals had the bases loaded with nobody out. After Eric Hosmer grounded into a fielder's choice, Darren O'Day induced a ground ball from Billy Butler that resulted in an inning-ending double play.

O'Day's reprieve was only temporary, as Gordon and Moustakas delivered blows to Baltimore in the 10th. Kansas City finished last in the league in home runs during the regular season. Gordon's was the team's third go-ahead extra-inning home run of the postseason, which is a record, per ESPN Stats and Info:

It will be interesting to see if Game 1 ends up having an adverse effect on either bullpen. In addition to the extra inning of work, neither starting pitcher made it to the sixth, meaning the respective managers had to get into their bullpens somewhat early.

James Shields pitched five innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on 10 hits. Despite struggling quite a bit and letting the Orioles into the game in the bottom of the fifth, he exited the game in line for the win.

Chris Tillman started for Baltimore. Before the game, he talked about his mindset heading into such an important game against a pitcher noted for performing well in tough situations, per MLB.com's Ian Browne:

"

It's always a challenge. I think as a starting pitcher my mindset is it's not me versus James (Shields), it's not me versus whoever, (Max) Scherzer, (Justin) Verlander; it's me versus the Royals. I've got to face nine guys that are out there trying to beat me and get on base and wreak havoc, this time, especially. And that's the way I look at it.

"

Tillman never looked settled on the mound and left in the fifth inning after going 4.1 innings and allowing five runs (all earned) on seven hits. He struck out three and walked two. According to MLB.com's Andrew Simon, Tillman hadn't given up four earned runs at home all season entering Friday:

The Kansas City offense bookended the game.

The Royals broke the game open in the top of the third. Tillman danced around danger for the first two innings. Sporting News' Jesse Spector made the point that the Orioles starter was throwing strikes, but his pitches were catching a little too much of the plate:

That problem was no more evident than on Alcides Escobar's solo home run to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead. The 27-year-old shortstop had three homers for the whole of the 2014 regular season.

The Royals offense wasn't done, either. Nori Aoki singled, which was followed by a walk to Lorenzo Cain. With two outs, Butler delivered an improbable—considering his lack of speed—infield single. First baseman Steve Pearce bobbled J.J. Hardy's throw from short, allowing Butler to reach first and load the bases.

Butler's hustle proved massive a batter later, as Gordon delivered a bases-clearing broken-bat double to right field that put the Royals on top 4-0. Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop mishandled the throw in from right fielder Nick Markakis, which allowed Gordon to move to third on an error.

The count was full at the time of Gordon's hit, which allowed the baserunners to get a head start. Butler motored home all the way from first without a throw.

Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan felt Markakis could've done much better with his reaction time to the base hit:

Baltimore got a run back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Adam Jones that scored Markakis.

The damage would've likely been much worse for Shields had Gordon not made a diving catch in left field to end the inning. Pearce drilled a pitch into left center that was headed for the gap before Gordon intervened. With Jones on first with two outs, the Royals left fielder likely saved a run.

The Royals added another run in the top of the fifth to take a 5-1 lead after a sacrifice fly by Butler that scored Cain.

In the Wild Card Game, critics accused Royals manager Ned Yost of having too quick a hook for Shields. On Friday, the opposite was true. When Shields found himself in a jam, his skipper backed him, perhaps to a fault.

Markakis and Alejandro De Aza hit back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Jones hit into a fielder's choice that got Markakis out at third. Nelson Cruz stepped to the plate next and delivered a double off the wall in left field, scoring De Aza and making it a 5-2 game.

MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince highlighted how much of a bargain Cruz has been this season:

Simon was surprised that Yost didn't go to the bullpen at that point. Shields was clearly laboring after his third time through the Orioles' order:

Shields walked Pearce but struck out Hardy to relieve at least a little bit of pressure. However, Ryan Flaherty hit a two-run single that got the Orioles to within a run, 5-4. Aoki made a great play in right field to prevent Baltimore from possibly scoring the tying run:

Baltimore did tie the game an inning later after an infield single from De Aza scored Schoop from third.

While the Baltimore bullpen will get its fair share of blame for the loss, the offense struggled mightily in the later stages of Game 1.

From the seventh inning on, its hitters went a combined 2-for-17. The Royals' trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland shut the door. Delmon Young made it interesting with an RBI single in the 10th, but it was too little, too late for the Orioles.

First pitch for Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET in Baltimore. According to MLB.com, Yordano Ventura will take the mound for Kansas City. Orioles manager Buck Showalter will tap Bud Norris for the start, per a tweet from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.

According to MLB.com's Paul Casella, the winner of the last 13 LCS extra-inning Game 1s went on to win the series.