Kansas City Royals sweep Los Angeles Angels
The Kansas City Royals, with an 8-3 victory on Sunday, left no room for doubt with their sweep of the Los Angeles Angels in their ALDS series matchup.
The Angels' notoriously prodigious offense got almost zero production the entire series out of their big hitters against the Royals' strong starters and even stronger bullpen.
Albert Pujols (2 for 12), Mike Trout (1 for 12) and Josh Hamilton (0 for 13) all failed to make any type of meaningful contribution for the Angels, after pacing a team in the regular season that scored more runs than any other squad in the league.
The Royals meanwhile, who have ridden a small ball approach to victory since almost day one of the season, got on the Angels and starter C.J. Wilson early Sunday, with left fielder Alex Gordon hitting a bases-clearing double in the first inning.
Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas each homered, ace James Shields pitched an effective game, and the wild-card Royals, the team that had to win a single game playoff to make it to the series, a team that recently hasn't been able to keep a game to nine innings, had swept the ALDS.
''This is a special time in the city right now and they're enjoying this as much as we are,'' Shields said. ''This is the best atmosphere I've ever been a part of.''
Baltimore Orioles sweep Detroit Tigers
The Baltimore Orioles made short work of the Detroit Tigers in their ALDS series.
It only took three games, the most recent a 2-1 victory in Comerica Park on Sunday, to send the Tigers packing and send themselves onto the ALCS.
Baltimore closer Zach Britton, after a conference on the mound with manager Buck Showalter, facing a one out situation with a man on second, intentionally walked Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos.
"We're going to walk this guy," Showalter told him. "The next guy's going to hit into a double play, and we're gonna go home."
Britton got pinch hitter Hernan Perez to hit into an inning, and series, ending double play.
"Absolutely not," Orioles starter Bud Norris said when asked whether he ever imagined sweeping the Tigers. "We figured it would be a long series, probably five games."
The Orioles got out to a 2-0 nothing lead on the back of a Nelson Cruz two-run homerun off Tigers starter David Price in the sixth.
The Tigers, behind back to back doubles from Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez, cut the lead to one in the ninth.
But after the conference with Showalter, Britton settled in and closed things out.
After a 96-win regular season and an ALDS series win that saw them overcome three recent Cy Young winners, there's no discounting this Baltimore team in the ALCS - their first trip to baseball's final four since 1997.