Only one Wild Card series goes the distant as the AL East-winning Yankees lose a decider at home to the Guardians. The Guardians will face the Texas Rangers in the Division Series. The Cubs swept the Rockies and the Braves swept the Diamondbacks to set up two East-Central matchups in the National League, the Mets will take on the Cubs, and the Cardinals the Braves.
The Twins were the final wild card victors, sweeping the Blue Jays to set up an All-AL Central match up against the Royals, giving the division three of the four Division Series teams. The Royals and Twins will meet for the first time in the postseason, and it will be a 13th AL team that Stewart has faced in October, with the Tigers left as the only AL Central team he doesnt get to match up against in the playoffs.
The Twins were the hottest team in baseball through June and stayed good enough through the rest of the summer to get to 90 wins as the best of the wild card teams. The Royals took the regular season series 8-5, but with the 4th best runs against total in the AL, this will be a good contest.
That pitching performance was led by the 3rd best starters ERA in the league, with Mauricio Cazares, the pick of the bunch with a 3.57 ERA and a 12-8 record. It is an all-RHP rotation, although the bullpen does have a couple of lefties, including 3.17 ERA Mike Sunden. Their closer role will be an interesting decision with regular season SP Billy Baker (4.01 ERA in 175.0 IP) taking on the role in the WC series.
On the position players side, it has been an underperforming season for the Twins, which will have the Royals worried. They boast the reigning league MVP in T.J. Jaeger, who had 38 HRs and 105 RBI, as well as a catching corps of Jim Clarke and Jesus Contreras. RF Vicente Pimental led the team with a .292 AVE, as well as SBs, with 32.
Game 1 in Kansas City: T.J. Nooks vs. Juan Caldelas (2038 Waivers PHI)
Kansas City wins 8-7 (10)
Nooks (6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R)
Caldelas (3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R)
Omari Ambroise (W): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Billy Baker (L): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R
Luis Danys Rhodes (BS): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R
Kansas City HRs: David de Anda (2nd, 2R), Esmarly Roseberry (6th), Domingo Carrillo (10th, WO)
Minnesota HRs: T.J. Jaeger (8th, 2R), Devin Sapien (9th)
Luis Danys Rhodes (KC) INJ pitching DTD 4 days
POTG: Esmarly Roseberry (KC) 3-4, HR, 2 RBI
1-0 Kansas City
Game 2 in Kansas City: Braden Montalbano vs Mike Miller (2049 Free Agent)
Kansas City wins 5-2
Montalbano (W): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R
Miller (L): 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R
Ambroise (SV): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Kansas City HRs: Nelson Saiz (3rd, 2R), Jadon Tezeno (6th)
2-0 Kansas City
Game 3 in Minnesota: Steve Mondie vs Mauricio Cazares (2047 Waivers CLE)
Kansas City wins 13-1
Mondie (W): 6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Cazares (L): 4.2 IP. 4 H, 3 R
Kansas City HRs: Roseberry (6th, 3R), A.J Terry (6th, GS), Saiz (8th, 2R)
Minnesota HRs: Jim Clarke (9th)
Jonathan Lish (KC) | Sean LeVan EJECTED brawl
3-0 KANSAS CITY WINS
Series MVP: Esmarly Roseberry (KC) 5-12, 2 HRs, 5 RBI