Biggest Surprises, Disappointments at the 2014 MLB Postseason's Midway Point

It doesn't get any better than October baseball. 

From Mike Moustakas turning into Reggie Jackson to the Baltimore Orioles falling apart, you just never know what to expect from the 2014 MLB postseason. As the playoffs hit the midway point, it's time to catalogue the biggest surprises and disappointments so far. 

Since the focus is on the teams and players still standing, you won't be reading anything about the underwhelming Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics. However, there is room on the list for a breakout star and an established big-name player who is simply breaking down. 

Surprise: Kolten Wong Walks off in Game 2 of the NLCS

Kolten Wong didn't listen to A.J. Pierzynski in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

Right before the rookie stepped to the plate, the veteran backstop told Wong to "just get on base," as Daniel Brown of the Bay Area News Group reports. Instead, Wong crushed an 84 mph offering from Sergio Romo into the right-field seats at Busch Stadium. 

Afterward, Wong, as you can see in the MLB.com video above, sought out Pierzynski and barked, "A.J., did I get on base?"

The walk-off from the second baseman couldn't have come at a bigger moment for the St. Louis Cardinals, as it saved the club from potentially dropping into an 0-2 hole in the series. 

Wong has been providing the Cardinals with lots of power throughout the playoffs. In six postseason games, the left-handed hitter has piled up five extra-base hits and five RBI. 

Disappointment: Zach Britton's October Implosion

Zach Britton was lights out during the regular season. That's all changed now that the playoffs have rolled around. 

In Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Baltimore Orioles closer simply couldn't find the plate. The left-hander walked the bases loaded in the ninth inning, tossing 13 balls out of 15 total pitches. Britton recorded just a single out before Darren O'Day entered the game to bail him out. An inning later, the O's bullpen would serve up a pair of home runs, as the Kansas City Royals won 8-6. 

In Game 2, the tables turned, as manager Buck Showalter called on Britton to get O'Day off the hook.That didn't happen. Britton, who was 37-of-41 on save attempts in 2014, gave up an inherited run and an earned run as the Royals grabbed a 2-0 edge in the ALCS. 

Surprise: Mike Moustakas' Power Surge

Mike Moustakas was a mess for much of the 2014 season. 

The third baseman was struggling so badly in May that the Kansas City Royals briefly demoted him to Triple-A. The year didn't end much better, as the left-handed hitter finished the season with a .212 average, a .271 OBP and a .632 OPS. 

Then the playoffs arrived, and suddenly the light-hitting 26-year-old is on a tear.

In Game 1 of the ALCS, Moustakas clubbed a two-run shot in the 10th inning that proved to be the game-winner. In Game 2, he went yard again, which means he now has four home runs during the club's October run. As Richard Justice of MLB.com notes, that's one more homer than he totaled in the 65 games following the All-Star break. 

Disappointment: The San Francisco Giants Home Run-Happy Bullpen

The San Francisco Giants bullpen just can't stop giving up home runs. 

In Game 2 of the NLCS, three different relievers—Jean Machi, Hunter Strickland and Sergio Romo—all surrendered solo shots. Strickland, the rookie who can crack 100 mph on the radar gun, has now been torched for four home runs in the postseason. 

Romo, who gave up the game-winner to Wong at Busch Stadium, was simply at a loss as to what has happened to the usually reliable bullpen, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

"Is it a shock?" The setup man asked. "We tend to not give up home runs, I guess. It is what it is. But for them to come out swinging the way they did … I can only speak for myself. I've got to execute."

It's possible that the struggles of the relief corp could lead to a sighting of Tim Lincecum, who is the only Giants pitcher who has yet to see game action. 

Surprise: The Pop of the Royals and Cardinals

During the regular season, the Cardinals and the Royals couldn't buy a home run. 

The clubs ranked No. 29 and No. 30, respectively, in that category in 2014. The Cardinals went yard just 105 times, while the Royals (95) were the only team in baseball to fall below the 100-homer threshold. For a bit of context, the Orioles, who now trail the Royals 3-0 in the ALCS, led baseball with 211. 

The postseason, of course, has been an entirely different story. Now, the Cardinals (12) and the Royals (8) are running first and second in that department. Plus, each of those teams has won a championship series game via a home run in their final at bat. 

Disappointment: Yadier Molina's Oblique Injury

Yadier Molina couldn't even make it out of the box in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. 

After aggravating his left side earlier in the contest, the backstop strained his oblique during his third at-bat, casting a shadow over his and his team's playoff future. Molina described the injury as the "worst pain I have ever felt in my career," according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. 

If Molina is going to play any further part in the NLCS, that contribution is likely to come as a defensive replacement, as manager Mike Matheny explained, via Langosch. The backstop warmed up a pitcher in the bullpen during Game 3, but he never actually played in the game. 

Surprise: The Royals Are Rolling Even as James Shields Stumbles

Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Royals are cruising. 

Manager Ned Yost's squad has ripped off seven wins in a row to start the postseason and hasn't lost a game since September 27. October is supposed to be all about pitching, but remarkably, the team has done all that without much of a contribution from staff ace James Shields. 

The right-hander did deliver a quality start in the division series. However, in three outings, Shields allowed 10 runs on 21 hits in 16 innings of work. The reality is that the Royals are running their way through October and playing unreal defense. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the bullpen has been just as unhittable as advertised. 

Disappointment: The Orioles' ALCS Face-Plant

Leon Halip/Getty Images

It's been a crazy ride for the Baltimore Orioles. 

The AL East champs swept past the Tigers in the American League Division Series, only to draw a blank thus far against the Royals in the next round. The most unexpected part about the O's dropping the opening two games of the ALCS at home is that the club simply doesn't lose consecutive contests at Camden Yards. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the last time that happened was June 28 and 29. 

The Orioles just happened to pick a terrible time to break that streak. 

Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com.

If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.