Quick Recap
Well, this series kicked off in entertaining fashion going 11 innings with the Royals coming out on top 3-2. Mike Moustakas was the hero with a big solo home run in the top of the 11th off Fernando Salas.
Starting Pitchers
Matt Shoemaker (Angels): 16-4, 3.04 ERA, 124 strikeouts
After a rocky start to the season, Shoemaker settled in and finished the season winning eight starts in a row. He hasn’t made a start since September 15th due to an oblique strain which is concerning for the Angels considering the extra inning game last night and the work of the bullpen.
Yordano Ventura (Royals): 14-10, 3.20 ERA, 159 strikeouts
Ventura had a great rookie season and can throw some serious smoke. He pitched in the Wild Card game Tuesday night and gave up a three run homerun to Brandon Moss; he only pitched a third of an inning in that game. It was a different situation than what he is used to, but he was able to get his first experience pitching in the postseason.
Impact Hitters
David Freese (Angels) .260 Average, 10 Homeruns, 55 RBI, .321 OBP
Freese is known to be clutch in the postseason after his performance in the 2011 World Series, and so far this has still been the case as he hit a much needed solo homer last night.
Mike Trout (Angels) .287 Average, 36 Homeruns, 111 RBI, .377 OPB
Trout’s postseason debut was unimpressive going 0-4 with a walk and leaving two on base. He’s obviously a big threat in the lineup and everyone is awaiting his first postseason hit.
Alex Gordon (Royals) .266 Average, 19 Homeruns, 74 RBI, .351 OBP
Gordon went 1-3 with a walk in Game 1 of this series. He is a big hitter in the Royals lineup and is a game changer at the plate as well as in left field.
Mike Moustakas (Royals) .212 Average, 15 Homeruns, 54 RBI, .271 OBP
You can’t very well talk about impact hitters without including the guy who gave the Royals a 3-2 lead in the 11th inning. His numbers may not be overwhelming, but the ninth place hitter had the biggest hit in the game last night with a solo shot to right.
Pitching Advantage: Royals seem to have the advantage when it comes to pitching for Game 2 with Shoemaker not pitching since mid-September. Nerves may be a concern for Ventura, but the rookie has had a great season thus far and will look to brush off a bad, yet brief, outing Tuesday. With Game 1 going 11 innings, both bullpens got a lot of work which could work to the Royals advantage depending on how deep in the game Shoemaker is able to go.
Hitting Advantage: Difficult to go against the Halos lineup with a powerful bunch, but their top hitters were silenced by the Royals pitching last night. Angels need contributions from Trout, Albert Pujols, and Josh Hamilton, but all three were hitless.
The Angels will win because their offense will finally come to life and their big hitters will come up clutch behind a solid pitching performance by Shoemaker.
The Royals will win because they have momentum on their side and are a resilient team who never gives up. They have played in two playoff games this year, including the Wild Card, and in 23 innings have come through with two impressive extra inning wins.
Final Prediction
Royals 4
Angels 3