Royals Review - Game 1, ALDS: Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels GameThread"A dim view of humanity" -Lee Judgehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29790/royalsreview.gif2014-10-03T01:14:49-04:00http://www.royalsreview.com/rss/stream/66615462014-10-03T01:14:49-04:002014-10-03T01:14:49-04:00ALDS Game 1 Overflow #5: KC 3, LAA 2. End of Game
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Moose hangs dong with the best of 'em.</p> <p>Moose hangs dong like a fiend.</p>
<p>Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose!</p>
<p>Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong. Moose dong.</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2014/10/3/6897415/alds-game-1-overflow-5-kc-3-laa-2-end-of-gameJosh Duggan2014-10-03T00:20:33-04:002014-10-03T00:20:33-04:00ALDS Game 1 Overflow #4: KC 2, LAA 2, End of 9
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<img alt="Madonna would want you to take a bow." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LBxXz3JqmW9U3Af6Yav2MA3G0oU=/0x400:2801x2267/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40749276/456558392.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Madonna would want you to take a bow. | Jeff Gross</figcaption>
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<p>Dormant bats. Shaky pen. Still tied up.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Royals</a> offense has gone to sleep while the bullpen has been shakier than one would expect.</p>
<p>The Royals offense has really looked terrible. They seem intent upon putting the lead-off runner on base every inning and then working themselves out of a self-created jam. In the seventh, it was a <span>Kelvin Herrera</span> walk. In the eighth it was a <span>Wade Davis</span> walk. In the ninth, <span>Tim Collins</span> brushed Gordon Beckham's laces. But I Don't Know What To Do With Those Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs walked <span>C.J. Cron</span> on a full count miss <i>very</i> wide, but he induced a <span>Chris Iannetta</span> ground-out to escape the ninth unscathed.</p>
<p>Thankfully Mike Scoscia has been a staunch advocate of small ball since the beginning in Anaheim.</p>
<p>Free outs! Disasters averted.</p>
<p>Everything is even at two runs apiece as the Royals head to extras in Anaheim.</p>
<p>This game is an fWAR!</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2014/10/3/6897271/alds-game-1-overflow-4-kc-2-laa-2-end-of-9Josh Duggan2014-10-02T23:26:24-04:002014-10-02T23:26:24-04:00ALDS Game 1 Overflow #3: KC 2, LAA 2, Top of 8
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<img alt="Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin'" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vY7-hb-gxwIVcodMUNt21Ai9AQc=/0x20:4000x2687/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40746054/20141002_pjc_usa_169.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin' | Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Still tied, though not without a scare or two.</p> <p>Jason Vargas limited the damage to two runs, both on solo shots. Kelvin Herrera came in and faced David Freese, who sobered up enough to talk a walk. Something was amiss with Herrera's right hand, and Salvador Perez beckoned for the trainer and coaching staff to come out to the mound. Who does Yost go to? None other than Brandon Finnegan.</p>
<p>With Gordon Beckham pinch-running for Freese, Mike Scoscia gave Finnegan one out by way of an Erick Aybar sacrifice bunt. Josh Hamilton followed with a weak grounder to second base.</p>
<p>With the go-ahead run on third and C.J. Cron walking to the plate, Ned Yost called for the righty, Wade Davis. Wade Davis did Wade Davis things, in large part thanks to a patented Norichika Aoki circus catch.</p>
<p>Disaster averted. On to the eighth.</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2014/10/2/6897045/alds-game-1-overflow-3-royals-2-angels-2-top-8Josh Duggan2014-10-02T22:44:47-04:002014-10-02T22:44:47-04:00ALDS Game 1 Overflow Thread #2: Royals 2, Angels 2
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<figcaption>This guy | Jeff Gross</figcaption>
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<p>Plowing onward.</p> <p>CJ Cron blasted a home run over the bullpen in left field. Outs were made. Freese hit an almost identical home run to Cron. Other than 2 pitches, Vargas has looked pretty good. The defense has looked good.</p>
<p><span>Alex Gordon</span> scored on a sac fly by <span>Omar Infante</span> after <span>Salvador Perez</span> barely missed a home run.</p>
<p>Baseball.</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2014/10/2/6896897/alds-game-1-overflow-thread-2-royals-2-angels-2-mid-6Kevin Ruprecht2014-10-02T21:51:53-04:002014-10-02T21:51:53-04:00ALDS Game 1 Overflow #1: Royals 1, Angels 0, Mid 3
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<img alt="It's Cain's world. We just live in it." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7IgTR43F7ClORrozDr7woiuOadc=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40742156/456432108.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>It's Cain's world. We just live in it. | Ed Zurga</figcaption>
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<p>All knotted up at zeroes.</p> <p><span><span>Jered Weaver</span> and <span>Jason Vargas</span> have both been pitching. They've also not allowed any runs. Neither has looked great. </span></p>
<p><span>Norichika Aoki</span> ended the first getting picked off at first.</p>
<p><span>Lorenzo Cain</span> made a nice leaping grab at the wall, and Vargas calmed down with two routine flies to get out of the first without allowing a baserunner.</p>
<p>After a lead-off <span>Eric Hosmer</span> walk, <span>Billy Butler</span> grounded into a double play for the first two outs of the second, and <span>Alex Gordon</span> followed with a fly ball to shallow left.</p>
<p>Cain makes another nice catch to wrap up a hitless bottom of the second for Vargas.</p>
<p>In the road half of the third, the <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Royals</a> worked some counts, <span>Mike Moustakas</span> reached on a two-out walk, and then <span>Alcides Escobar</span> drove him in with a double off the wall in left field. .</p>
<p>On to the bottom of the third.</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2014/10/2/6896761/alds-game-1-overflow-thread-1-royals-1-angels-0-middle-of-3rdJosh Duggan2014-10-02T20:00:02-04:002014-10-02T20:00:02-04:00Game 1, ALDS: Royals at Angels
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<figcaption>Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>I'm glad this isn't a win-or-go-home game. I might die.</p> <p>There have been so many feelings regarding the <em>wild</em> Wild Card game victory. Elation. Fear. Utter euphoria. It feels ...I don't know...shameful, but it's time to put that behind us for the next few days. There is more baseball to be played.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a> will clash against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> tonight. <span>Jason Vargas</span> takes the mound for the Royals in an environment where he was comfortable last year as a member of the Angels.</p>
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<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" width="100%" class="sortable"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="center"></th> <th align="center">IP</th> <th align="center">ERA</th> <th align="center">AVG</th> <th align="center">OBP</th> <th align="center">SLG</th> <th align="center">BABIP</th> <th align="center">LOB%</th> <th align="center">wOBA</th> <th align="center">FIP</th> <th align="center">xFIP</th> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Home</td> <td align="center">79</td> <td align="center">3.30</td> <td align="center">0.250</td> <td align="center">0.307</td> <td align="center">0.413</td> <td align="center">0.285</td> <td align="center">81.5%</td> <td align="center">0.315</td> <td align="center">3.96</td> <td align="center">4.17</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Away</td> <td align="center">71</td> <td align="center">4.82</td> <td align="center">0.298</td> <td align="center">0.359</td> <td align="center">0.440</td> <td align="center">0.336</td> <td align="center">72.4%</td> <td align="center">0.351</td> <td align="center">4.23</td> <td align="center">4.42</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<p>However, Vargas moved to another pitcher-friendly park in 2014 and the splits reversed; he was far better away this year than at home. Of course, using math and logic and stuff, that means that tonight's game is technically a 2014 away game in a 2013 favorable environment. Double whammy of awesome? We can only hope.</p>
<p>The Royals' small-balling, bunting, running, gunning, hugging lineup will be facing Jered Weaver. Shaun Newkirk wrote about Weaver <a href="http://www.royalsreview.com/2014/10/2/6890963/royals-opponent-jered-weaver-once-good-now-not">here</a>; Weaver is not what he once was. Injuries have forced the Angels to start a guy who earlier in the season would have been questionable to start a game 3. Weaver is a righty who has a large platoon split this year but has had a reverse platoon split in the past. Weaver is also very comfortable in his home environment. Weaver has thrown over 800 innings each at home and away with different defenses and different run environments. Weaver has a 2.66 career ERA at home and a 3.92 career ERA away, and his decline hasn't stopped him from pitching well at home this year.</p>
<p>So, we've got two soft-tossing crafty vets looking to exploit the park and defense to prevent runs.</p>
<p>Let's go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUz6h6RwfWU">slap that fish</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p>All of The Lights Lineup: Escobar 6, Aoki 9, Cain 8, Hosmer 3, Butler DH, Gordon 7, Perez 2, Infante 4, Moustakas 5, Vargas 1.</p>— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) <a href="https://twitter.com/McCulloughStar/status/517795464981127168">October 2, 2014</a> </blockquote>
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<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet"> <p>Angels against LHP Vargas: Calhoun, Trout, Pujols, Kendrick, Freese, Aybar, Hamilton, Cron, Iannetta. It is Hamilton's 2nd start in 4 weeks.</p>— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) <a href="https://twitter.com/pedromoura/status/517783260781219840">October 2, 2014</a> </blockquote>
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https://www.royalsreview.com/2014/10/2/6893223/game-1-alds-kansas-city-royals-at-los-angeles-angels-gamethreadKevin Ruprecht