Royals Authority

Not enough time to really dig into today’s opposing pitcher, righty Bud Norris, but here are some quick notes:

Pitch mix, velocities, and runs above average in 2014, via Fangraphs:

four-seam fastball: 61%, 93, -14
slider: 26%, 86, +7
changeup: 9%, 85, +2

Hitters have eaten up his fastball this year, which is good news since he throws it most of the time. Laying off the slider and change might be a good idea this afternoon. (Easy for me to say.)

I came up with a group of 15 righties including Norris who feature a similar arsenal* and saw how the KC nine have fared against them in their careers:

Not a ton of PAs for those top three, but it might be telling that the lefties (sans Alex) have had success against this group. Norris has a huge lefty/righty split in his career: .351 wOBA allowed to lefties vs. .308 to righties.

Norris was sharp in his ALDS start:

*Bud Norris, Alexi Ogando, Anthony Bass, Dan Straily, Drew Storen, Erik Johnson, Ervin Santana, Jason Hammel, Jeff Manship, Jeremy Bonderman, Jeremy Hefner, Julio Teheran, Mat Latos, Michael Pineda, and Ryan Webb

You expected something different? Even though it had been four days since the Royals took the field, this is still Postseason 2014. This is still crazy time.

Royals 8, Orioles 6. Final in 10 innings.

Perhaps we got another signal that this would be a typical Royals October baseball game in the top of the third. With one out, Alcides Escobar took Orioles starter Chris Tillman yard to put the Royals on the board. It opened the floodgates to weird baseball:

— The Royals walked seven times.

— Baltimore rallied from a 5-1 deficit.

— Brandon Finnegan was ineffective.

— Alex Gordon was hit in the neck by a 94 mph fastball.

— Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera both threw two innings.

— The Royals loaded the bases in the ninth with no one out and didn’t score.

— ALEX FREAKING GORDON hit the go ahead home run in the 10th.

— Mike Moustakas hit another home run.

The Royals win and take a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. I wish I had something interesting to say beyond the “just the facts” recap, but these games are exhausting. I can’t remember a stretch of baseball like this. Ever. Five post seasons games. Five wins. Four in extra innings. And all the home runs.

There’s so much strategy to discuss and churn and second-guess. Did Yost stick with Shields for too long? What was Hosmer thinking swinging at that pitch from Zach Britton? The Royals tried to give away outs in the ninth, but Britton wouldn’t let them. Is Greg Holland ever going to find his velocity?

But I’m kind of tired and definitely giddy. Another classic for the vault. I’ve officially reached a point of postseason euphoria.

Seven wins from the promised land.