Norwich to virtually fall out of contention in the Premie

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Kansas City Royals are back in the American League Championship Series for the first time in 29 years. They will continue their quest toward their first World Series appearance since 1985 when they start the best-of-seven series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Friday. While its been a generation since the Royals have been back to the Fall Classic, its been an even longer wait for the Orioles, who were last in the ALCS back in 1997, but havent made a trip to the World Series since winning it all back in 1983. Kansas Citys improbable run almost ended in the wild card game against the Oakland Athletics, but the never-say-die Royals rallied to send that game into extra innings, before coming from behind once again to win the game in 12 innings. Ned Yosts crew carried that momentum into the ALDS where they upended the ALs best team, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, in three straight games. The Royals needed more than nine innings to win the first two in Anaheim, before routing the Halos, 8-3, in Game 3 to advance in front of a wild Kauffman Stadium crowd. Im more happy for the fans than anyone else, because they waited a long time to get to this point, owner David Glass said, drenched in champagne in the clubhouse celebration. But listen, were not at the end. Were at the beginning of something that could be really good. No team signified small ball more than Kansas City, which won 89 games this season thanks in large part to its ability to play defense and manufacture runs. The Royals also led the AL with 153 stolen bases, but their 95 home runs were the fewest in baseball. Kansas City, though, has enjoyed the luxury of the home run here in the postseason and won the first two games in Anaheim on the strength of two extra-inning homers and have hit just as many this postseason (4) as the Orioles, a team that blasted 116 more than them during the regular season. Well, you know, it was huge. Won us two games, Yost said of the power hitting after Sundays clincher. Coming into this game, we were hitting .162 as a team, they were hitting .141, but the difference were the two big home runs. That gave us the edge. Tonight the power was huge again. If you are looking for a star on this Royals team, good luck. Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, and Mike Moustakas get most of the attention, considering how highly regarded they were coming up through the organization, but Lorenzo Cain might be the most underrated player in the game. Cain is as good of an outfielder as there is and hes not too shabby at the plate either, as he hit .301, drove in 53 runs and swiped 28 bases. Cain didnt offer much in terms of offense against the Angels, but flashed some serious leather in center field. I know now the whole world is starting to see what he can do, Hosmer said. Hes on the big stage now making the plays and doing it with the bat, also. Thats something weve been seeing all year from him, from Gordo (Gordon), from (Jarrod) Dyson and all these guys out there. Theyve been really controlling that outfield. Theres a lot of turf out there obviously to cover out there, and they make the stadium and the field look a lot shorter than it is. Of course, you cant talk about the Royals and not mention their incredible bullpen triumvirate of closer Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis. The group combined for a 1.28 ERA and 258 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings in the regular season. It has been more of the same here in the postseason, as the Royals bullpen has accounted for three victories and has pitched to a 2.37 ERA. They have also fanned 21 batters in 19 innings. The Royals also dodged a bullet with Herrera, who left Game 1 against the Angels with a forearm strain. An MRI, though, revealed no structural damage and he returned for the clincher. If there is one perceived weakness within the Royals it could be their starting pitching. James Shields is the ace and will likely go in Game 1 against the Os. Yost will likely then throw rookie Yordano Ventura and lefty Jason Vargas, who was tremendous in his Game 1 start versus the Angels. Yost could also give hard-throwing lefty Danny Duffy a start in this series. Baltimore, meanwhile, beat the ALs last three Cy Young Award winners to sweep its way past the Detroit Tigers. While the Tigers three aces werent exactly lights out, the Orioles were able to batter the beleaguered Tigers bullpen to the tune of 10 earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Theyve got a lot to be proud of, said Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who won his first postseason series. Its a step. Theres different steps during the season that you have to take and this is one of them. Its so hard against a team like Detroit that has a great pedigree and experience at (the postseason). Baltimore slugged its way to the postseason for the second time in three years thanks to its first AL East crown since 1997 after going 96-66. The win total was the most for an Os team since they accumulated 98 in the year of their last division title. The Os had to overcome a pair of serious injuries along the way, as catcher Matt Wieters was lost for the season in June with an elbow injury, while promising third baseman Manny Machado again suffered a serious leg injury that required surgery in August. Then as if that wasnt enough last years home run champion Chris Davis was suspended for the use of amphetamines in September. Davis is eligible to return for Game 6 of this series, but will probably be left off the roster. Regardless, it didnt slow the Orioles down from an offensive standpoint, as they hit a league high 211 dingers, with Nelson Cruz leading the way with an MLB-best 40. Cruz continued to mash against the Tigers, going 6-for-12 with a pair of home runs and five RBI. Eight of Cruzs 16 postseason home runs have come against Detroit. Hes been awesome all year, said Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis. Thats the main reason we got him. I played a lot of games against him and hes done a lot of damage against us. Im just glad hes on our team doing the damage now. Baltimores rotation almost mirrors Kansas City with its lack of star power, but the group did have three 13-game winners (Wei-Yin Chen, Bud Norris and Chris Tillman) for the first time since 97, when Scott Erickson, Jimmy Key and Mike Mussina helped pitch the Os to their last division title. Norris could be a player to watch this series. He threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the Os clincher over the Tigers and is 5-0 since the start of September. Whatever perceived flaws Baltimore may have in the rotation, the Os more than make up for it with one of the better bullpens in baseball. Closer Zach Britton is as underrated as any pitcher in the game and Orioles relievers combined for a 3.10 ERA in the regular season, which was the third-lowest mark in the AL, and a 1.16 WHIP, tied for the second lowest. Left-hander Andrew Miller and righty Darren ODay will set the bridge to Britton. If the Os do get by, you can bet its on the strength of their pitchers late in games. Opponents batted .216 against the Os from the eighth inning on in the regular season. PREDICTION: Baltimores lineup wasnt shut down by the Tigers aces, but still, most of its damage was done against a bullpen that was nowhere near the caliber of the one it will face this series. Still, I think the Orioles offense will continue to hit Kansas City pitching, starting pitching that is. Kansas City may have all the momentum and as exciting as it is, its hard to imagine the Royals being able to hang with the Os from a scoring standpoint. BALTIMORE in SIX Wholesale Rangers Jerseys . 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Cheap Nolan Ryan Jersey . Meanwhile, the Jets extended their winning streak to four and remain perfect under Paul Maurice. Its the Jets second four-game winning streak of the season, the other coming in mid-November.MADRID, Spain -- Perhaps the Champions League success for Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid was the best thing that could happen to Barcelona -- at least as far as the domestic title race is concerned. The Madrid clubs stumbled in the Spanish league on Sunday as they looked sapped of energy following their wins in the Champions League semifinals to set up a city derby in the final. That has provided Barcelona with renewed hope after the defending champion wrote itself off. Leader Atletico lost 2-0 at Levante, while Madrid needed a stoppage-time goal from Cristiano Ronaldo to draw 2-2 against Valencia at home. That came after Atletico beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge and Madrid routed Bayern 4-0 in Munich in midweek. Chelsea went on to draw 0-0 on Sunday against Norwich to virtually fall out of contention in the Premier League race. "Specifically on the physical front. Atletico and Chelsea had the same problem (as us)," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after the teams draw. "You cant give your maximum intensity like that and not pay the price for it." Atletico is still the front-runner as it needs only four points from its final two games -- against Malaga at home this Sunday before the trip to Barcelona on May 18. Atletico leads with 88 points and Barcelona is second with 85. Madrid has 83 points but with three games remaining, starting with Wednesdays match at Real Valladolid that will see the standings set for the last two rounds. "We cant forget that we depend on ourselves," Atletico captain Gabi Fernandez said. "Were 115 days from tasting glory, so weve got to keep fighting.dddddddddddd." Atletico holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Madrid, so even wins for Real at Valladolid, at Celta Vigo, and home to Espanyol wouldnt be enough unless Atletico drops points. "I only trust in Madrid and no other team. We have to do our job and see what happens," Madrid defender Marcelo said. "First off, we have to win our games. We cant worry about other teams, we need to worry about ourselves, win, and then see." Ronaldos turn-of-his-boot volley to stab in a 92nd-minute cross allowed Madrid to remain in the race. "Cristianos goal was very, very important because if we had lost it would have meant we lost any chance of winning the league," Ancelotti said. "It was a key play. Weve got three games left, and on Wednesday well play better." Barcelona looked to have given up on winning a fifth title in six years after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer to relegation-battling Getafe in a 2-2 draw on Saturday. Now, suddenly, Barcelona remains in the hunt, but needs Madrid to drop points to have a chance to avoid a first season without a major trophy since 2007. If Atletico and Barcelona end up tied on points, Barcelona will hold the head-to-head advantage as that scenario will arrive only with the titleholder beating Atletico on the final day. "One day someone said this league was boring, and now its very fun," Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said. "What we have left is a couple of rounds of pure football." 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