BALTIMORE - Reset? Try regroup, too.
The Baltimore Orioles knew they were headed to a different sort of baseball beginning Monday in Kansas City. What they desperately wanted to – and couldn't – avoid was facing a 2-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series.
Finally, a trademark small-ball rally from the Royals in the ninth inning that produced two runs and a 6-4 victory, a fourth consecutive postseason road victory, a perfect 6-0 overall and the somber realization for the Orioles that their next home game could be in April.
Alcides Escobar slashed a double over first base with one out in the ninth, scoring pinch-runner Terrance Gore to break the tie and it all goes west from there.
The narrative for this series has been about the contrast in styles.
Yet, neither team has thrived on what it does best.
The Orioles have shut down the Kansas City running game. The Royals have pretty much kept Baltimore in the ballpark -- Adam Jones' two-run shot in the third inning Saturday is the only Orioles homer in the series.
Kansas City has one stolen base and that's been irrelevant to either result. Baltimore has cut down Jarrod Dyson as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning of both games so far –once by each catcher, Nick Hundley and Caleb Joseph.
Gore scored the winning run as a pinch-runner but he merely was sacrificed to second by Mike Moustakas and scored easily on Escobar's hit.
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