The Royals reward for defeating the Angels, is a divisional match up in the AL Championship. The Guardians (92-70) knocked out the 104-win Rays to set up only a second ever, but back-to-back, post season series against Kansas City.
The Guardians rode starting pitching and the best defense in the AL to their 90+ win season. Timothy Theophanus had a 2.12 ERA while Branden Duncan threw 231 K in 235.0 inning for a 3.29 ERA. Closer Jesus Medina had 41 saves in 67 games with a 3.04 ERA.
On the hitting side, Eurico Aguilera had a .311 average, while their star player Juan Jaramillo had 114 RBI to go with 36 HRs. The line up features two former Royals batting three and four with Juan Soreni (.241, 35 HRs) and Eric Rose.
The Guardians won the regular season series, 7-6.
The day before the start of the series the Royals learned that their closer Jon Hall will be out for 6 months after tearing his rotator cuff in game 4 of the Division Series.
Game 1 in Kansas City: Min-ho Kim vs. Timothy Theophanous (2029 1st Round)
• Cleveland wins 1-0 (14)
• Theophanous: 6.1 IP, 4 H. 0 R
• Kim: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R
• Jody Love (W): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Bailey Pinsmail (L): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R
• Cleveland HRs: Juan Soreni (14th Inning)
• 1-0 Cleveland
Game 2 in Kansas City: Eddie Baquerizo vs. Branden Duncan (2034 1st Round)
• Kansas City wins 9-3
• Baquerizo (W): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R
• Duncan (L): 5.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R
• Kansas City HRs: Edgar Mir (1st Inning, 2R)
• 1-1 Series Tied
Game 3 in Cleveland: Curt Bogans vs. Tyrese Johnson (2038 Trade MIN)
• Kansas City wins 4-2
• Bogans (W): 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R
• Johnson (L): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R
• Banmei Kataoka (SV): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Kansas City HRs: Bob Crimi (8th Inning)
• 2-1 Kansas City
Game 4 in Cleveland: Ethan Chafin vs. Javonta Janzen (2033 7th Round)
• Cleveland wins 8-2
• Chafin (L): 3.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R
• Janzen (W): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R
• Cleveland HRs: Soreni (4th Inning, GS)
• POTG: Juan Soreni
• 2-2 Series Tied
Game 5 in Cleveland: Min-ho Kim vs. Timothy Theophanous
• Kansas City wins 6-5
• Kim (W): 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R
• Theophanous: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R
• Kataoka (SV): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R
• Cleveland HRs: Soreni (1st Inning, 2R), Eurico Aquilera (7th Inning)
• 3-2 Kansas City
Game 6 in Kansas City: Eddie Baquerizo vs. Branden Duncan
• Kansas City wins 10-3
• Baquerizo (W): 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R
• Duncan (L): 1.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R
• Kansas City HRs: Marquis Foggie (2nd Inning, 2R)
• POTG: Marquis Foggie (KC) 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
• 4-2 KANSAS CITY WINS
Series MVP: Chase Standberry (KC) 9-27, 3 BB