Quick Recap
So far there has been no slowing down the Royals during their first postseason appearance in 29 years. KC has a flare for the dramatic as they have played three games this postseason, winning all three in extra innings. Eric Hosmer was the hero Friday night hitting a clutch two-run blast in the top of the 11th inning; Salvador Perez added another run with an RBI single later in the inning. The Angels have been quiet offensively this series as the Royals are now in the driver’s seat up two games to none with the series heading to KC.
Starting Pitchers
C.J. Wilson (Angels): 13-10, 4.51 ERA, 151 Strikeouts
Wilson has had a disappointing season with a lot of inconsistencies. He was brought in by the Angels in 2012 as a pitcher they could rely on to deliver in big game situations. With the Angels down 0-2 in the ALDS, they need Wilson to do just that Sunday night.
James Shields (Royals): 14-8, 3.21 ERA, 180 Strikeouts
“Big Game James” has already started one game this postseason; the Wild Card matchup Tuesday night, and he didn’t do so good in that start. The Royals ace went five innings while giving up four earned runs on 88 pitches. With the Royals going for the three game sweep, Shields is a great guy for KC to have on the mound.
Impact Hitters
Albert Pujols (Angels): .272 Average, 28 Homeruns, 105 RBI, .324 OPB
The Angels slugger had a big hit Friday night with an RBI single to tie the game at 1. As a veteran on this Angels team, they need him to get things going offensively and deliver big hits with runners on base. It’s do or die for the Angels and they need Pujols to come through at the plate.
Mike Trout (Angels): .287 Average, 36 Homeruns, 111 RBI, .377 OPB
The MVP candidate has yet to collect the first postseason hit of his career through two games. Trout is a big part of the Halos lineup, but has been held off by the Royals pitching staff. The Angels need his bat to come alive if they have any chance at advancing to the ALCS, especially down 0-2.
Josh Hamilton (Angels): .263 Average, 10 Homeruns, 44 RBI, .331 OBP
Another hitless power hitter in the Angels lineup is Hamilton. He has had some really off at bats in the first two games of the ALDS and has left runners on base when they needed a big hit from him the most. The Halos desperately need their impact hitters (Trout, Pujols, and Hamilton) to make an impact. They were huge contributors to the Angels success this season, and they need to get some good at bats together now in the playoffs.
Eric Hosmer (Royals): .270 Average, 9 Homeruns, 58 RBI, .318 OPB
Hosmer was the hero Friday night going 3-4 with the big two run homerun to give the Royals the lead in the 11th. The Royals first baseman has had quite a few big hits this postseason and he’ll continue to have an impact on the KC offense Sunday night.
Alex Gordon (Royals): .266 Average, 19 Homeruns, 74 RBI, .351 OBP
Gordon is batting .333 this postseason and had an RBI single to give the Royals a 1-0 lead early in the game Friday night. The left fielder has been an important piece to the KC lineup that doesn’t necessarily have a lot of star power, but they continue to find a way to get it done.
Pitching Advantage: The Royals have the pitching advantage in this one with Shields on the mound at home in front of the KC crowd; especially when opposing Wilson. Although he showed some struggles against the A’s in the Wild Card game, he’s known as Big Game James for a reason.
Hitting Advantage: The Halos clearly have the lineup with more star power, but that offense has been ice cold as of late while the Royals are hot and continue to rack up clutch hits.
The Angels will win because their power hitters will show off their strength and come up clutch in key situations. They will also need a strong effort from Wilson and their bullpen in order to take Game 3 and prolong this ALDS series.
The Royals will win because they are a resilient team returning to their home crowd in KC ready to clinch this series and advance to the ALCS. They will continue to do what they have been doing all postseason which is back up a strong pitching performance with solid base running and timely hitting.
Final Prediction
Royals 4
Angels 2