Royals vs. Orioles: ALCS Game 1 TV Schedule, Preview, Prediction

By RantSports Staff on October 8, 2014

American League Championship Series Game 1: Kansas City Royals (89-73) vs. Baltimore Orioles (96-66)

Game Time, TV: Friday, October 10, 2014 – 8:00 PM ET on TBS

Probable Pitchers: James Shields (14-8, 3.21 ERA) vs. TBD

As much as things are staying the same in the National League, things are feeling fresher than they have in a long time in the American League. The Royals are set to make their first ALCS appearance since 1985, while the Orioles will make their first appearance since 1997. It’s been a long time coming for both fan bases, to say the least.

Both teams couldn’t be coming in hotter, either. Each club is coming off a sweep, and with a ton of October baseball momentum. For one, the heartache of not playing for a championship will continue. But for the other, all these years of waiting will pay off in a big way.

The Royals will send ace James Shields to the mound in Game 1 fresh off his series clinching win the ALDS. Shields has had a solid 2014 postseason so far, with one decent and one good start under his belt. They call him Big Game James, but the truth is that his career postseason ERA is floating around 5.00.

Still, if you’re a Royals fan, you have to feel pretty good about Shields taking the mound in the ALCS opener.

Baltimore has yet to name a SP for Game 1, but no matter who takes the mound, the Orioles should be confident because of their recent success at the plate. Baltimore scored 21 runs in the ALDS, compared to KC’s 14.

On paper the edge goes to Baltimore in this series. Top-to-bottom, they appear to be the better team, and of course they have homefield advantage. But there’s just something about this Royals team.

Prediction: The Royals get a quality start from Shields and find a way to keep winning.