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Due to the past success of the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants in October, we already knew the National League Championship Series would be a fight to the bitter end. Through two games of compelling baseball, that thought looms large.

The Giants earned a huge road win in Game 1, as Madison Bumgarner continued his playoff brilliance. San Francisco’s lineup got to Adam Wainwright early, and before we knew it, the Giants pitched a shutout thanks to continued stellar play from their bullpen.

With St. Louis down a game, it entered a must-win scenario in Game 2 and didn’t disappoint. Thanks to solid relief pitching—sans a poor day from Trevor Rosenthal—and some late-game heroics from Kolten Wong, the series moves to San Francisco all knotted up at one game each.

So, which team will successfully break this deadlock and earn a pivotal Game 3 victory? Before we predict the answer to that question, let’s first take a look at the contest’s essential viewing information.

Viewing Information

Series: Tied 1-1

Where: AT&T Park in San Francisco, California

When: Tuesday, October 14

Time: 4 p.m. ET

Channel: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: MLB.TV (subscription required)

Preview and Prediction

As if these two teams couldn’t be any more evenly matched, the Giants are starting Tim Hudson and the Cardinals are going with John Lackey in Game 3. How does this pitching matchup make this impending contest even more of a toss-up? Take a look at each starter’s postseason numbers this year:

It doesn’t get much closer than that.

These teams match up evenly in regard to their starters, but what about depth in the bullpen? Looking back through two games in this series, both teams’ relievers surrendered runs; however, St. Louis had the better staff in Game 2, as three separate San Francisco relievers gave up a run.

Still, the Giants now return home, and their bullpen was magnificent before Sunday’s contest. The three runs given up by relievers over the last three innings may be more of an outlier than anything. After all, take a look at these telling stats before Sunday’s contest, via Richard Justice of MLB.com:

Regardless, considering the ability of Hudson and Lackey to go seven-plus innings, we may not see much bullpen work from either squad in Game 3.

Should the Giants go to their bullpen, it will be interesting to see if they finally put Tim Lincecum into action. Although, a tweet from Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com doesn’t look promising:

One big difference between these two teams is how they’ve generated runs in the postseason. A side-by-side comparison is very telling:

In a far different trend from the regular season, St. Louis has suddenly discovered the long ball, while San Francisco has been relying more on manufacturing runs with consistent plate appearances across its lineup.

Taking this into consideration, the Giants get the slight upper hand in Game 3. Hudson was fired up and emotional in his last victory, and we should expect to see more of the same from him as he prepares to take the mound in a stadium full of supportive fans. It’s just difficult to see the Cardinals notching many deep balls in that scenario.

Prediction: Giants 4, Cardinals 2

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Just as we were all geared up to see the third game of the American League Championship Series between the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles on Monday night, Mother Nature had to interfere. Some inclement weather rolled into town, and the game was postponed as a result.

Fox Sports: MLB had the updated series schedule following the postponement:

Now that we’re forced to wait until Tuesday night to see this series continue, we have some more time to speculate on which team is most likely to earn a coveted berth in the World Series. Before we get into some predictions, here’s an updated look at the remaining ALCS schedule.

*Denotes “if necessary” games.

Series Prediction

Luckily, Monday’s game was called before pitchers began warming up, which means Wei-Yin Chen is still slated to take the mound for the Orioles and Jeremy Guthrie remains scheduled to start for the Royals.

Guthrie wasn’t overwhelmingly consistent during the regular season, accumulating a record of 13-11 and a 4.13 ERA. Fortunately for the Royals, he enters Game 3 on a three-game winning streak, pitching at least seven innings in two of those contests.

Chen had a horrid outing in his one postseason start. The Detroit Tigers pummeled him for seven hits and five earned runs—including two home runs—over just 3.2 innings, which was good enough for a 12.27 ERA.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports summed up exactly what Baltimore needs out of Chen in Game 3, via a tweet from America’s Pregame:

The Royals have been all over Baltimore’s pitching rotation, and based on what we saw from Chen’s first outing in October, the home team’s lineup could have a field day once again. Making matters worse for the Orioles is their shaky relief pitching. Darren O’Day has been horrid in this series and has earned two losses, while Zach Britton hasn’t been much better.

On the other hand, we have a steady Kelvin Herrera, Greg Holland’s two saves and Wade Davis’ lights-out performances for the Royals, via this tweet from MLB:

It’s clear Kansas City has the upper hand on the mound right now. After this team discovered the long ball in the postseason to combine with some savvy baserunning, the Royals may be the most well-rounded team remaining in the playoffs.

Now, this team gets three consecutive games at home. Expect this Kansas City team to put the Orioles on the ropes in Game 3 and refuse to allow this series to go back to Baltimore.

Prediction: Royals in five

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The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants are chock-full of playoff experience, and through two National League Championship Series contests, these squads are even. Speaking of experience, starters John Lackey and Tim Hudson—at a combined age of 74—are set to take the mound in Game 3.

Expect this roller-coaster ride to continue.

It doesn’t take an expert to quickly analyze these teams and determine that they are very evenly matched. Both have firepower at the plate, solid rotations and viable bullpens. So, what will propel one of these franchises to victory on Tuesday? Before that answer is predicted, here’s a look at all of the game’s pertinent viewing information.

Viewing Information

Series: Tied 1-1

Where: AT&T Park in San Francisco, California

When: Tuesday, October 14

Time: 4 p.m. ET

Channel: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: MLB.TV (subscription required)

Preview and Prediction

We’ve already learned that whatever happened in the regular season isn’t exactly translating to October in 2014. After all, the Cardinals—ranked 29th in the league in home runs prior to the playoffs—have sent a postseason-high 11 balls out of the park.

This same theory can be applied to both Hudson and Lackey in Game 3. All “old jokes” aside, these two have defied their respective ages in October, as Hudson pitched 7.1 innings, allowing one run for a 1.23 ERA in one start, and Lackey lasted 7.0 innings, allowing one run for a 1.29 ERA.

We could have seen this coming for Lackey, as MLB Stat of the Day notes the pitcher’s career postseason ERA:

All right, so they each pitched one postseason game and fared well. How have they done against their upcoming opponents? That’s another area in which these pitchers are at a stalemate. Lackey is allowing a career .286 batting average with one home run to Giants hitters, and Hudson is allowing a career .290 average with zero home runs to Cardinals sluggers.

Let’s go ahead and call this one even on the mound. Although, it’s difficult to deny the appeal of Hudson’s enthusiasm following his first win, via John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game:

But, what about at the plate? Well, it doesn’t get any easier there; however, these teams have scored runs this postseason in completely different fashions.

The Giants are batting .242 as a team and have more at-bats (265) than any other playoff squad. The team thrives on a deep rotation, as practically every hitter is a difficult out. They can get starters’ pitch counts up early and then feast on reserves.

The Cardinals have a different story. This is a team that has recently discovered the long ball. St. Louis is only batting .227 as a team, but an abundance of home runs gets this squad runs in bulk. The Cardinals attempted to shift their batting order in Game 2, moving Jon Jay to the No. 2 spot, but that didn’t quite work out, as he tallied just one hit in four plate appearances.

The edge in Game 3 has to go to the most consistent and complete team. While this may have not been the case during the regular season, the Giants get the advantage here. Earning a road win and coming home to a jam-packed crowd will lead to a win on Tuesday.

Prediction: Giants 4, Cardinals 2

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While the Kansas City Royals remain ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, the American League Championship Series is still not over.

Kansas City was hoping to take a commanding lead of the series with a home game Monday, but the action was postponed due to rain, as noted by Sports Illustrated:

The series will now be pushed back, with Game 3 taking place on Tuesday and, if necessary, Game 5 taking the spot of Thursday’s scheduled off day. 

Although the Royals keep the 2-0 lead, they will hope that the extra day off does not slow the momentum that has helped win each of the first six games of the postseason. Meanwhile, the Orioles will get to refocus their efforts on coming back in this series.

Here is a look at what to expect from Game 3 between these two high-energy teams.

Where: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

Date: Tuesday, October 14

Time: 8:07 p.m. ET

Channel: TBS

Live Stream: Postseason.TV ($4.99 fee)

After losing the first two games of the series at home, the Orioles remain positive with their ability to come back. First baseman Steve Pearce explained, via Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com:

Obviously we’re bummed that we didn’t take any in this home series. I think we’re back to being the underdog and we’re good at fighting back and they’ve got to win four. 

We’ve been backed into corners all year. This isn’t new for us. We’ll have that scratch-and-claw feeling we’ve had all year and find a way to get it done.

It is important that these statements are actually believed by the entire team and not just for show because that will decide the rest of the series.

At this point of the year, the mental part of the game means a lot more than the physical side. The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels had the most complete rosters in the majors but lost in the first round of the playoffs because they were unprepared for the pressure of the postseason.

Based on talent, Baltimore can make things very difficult for Kansas City. With a lineup that produced the most home runs in the majors, the team can score in bunches. Of course, Alex Gordon once again reminded everyone that it does not matter what happens in the regular season:

The Royals continually find a way to make things happen when they need it most.

Matt Winer of Turner Sports tried his best effort of explaining this team:

Every time it seems like Kansas City is about to falter, someone steps up either at the plate or on the mound. Each player is doing his part to help the team win the pennant.

If the squad can keep this up, there is not much Baltimore can do. It will be especially difficult with a pitching staff that has struggled to go deep into games in the series. Wei-Yin Chen will hope to change this, but his struggles in the American League Division Series (five earned runs in 3.2 innings) do not bode well for a turnaround.

The Orioles can make things interesting with a win on Tuesday, but this game seems likely to go to the home team in Kansas City.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

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Four Decembers ago, Dayton Moore and Doug Melvin locked horns, both men in charge of major league rosters desperate to win immediately or immediately thereafter.

Moore, the general manager of the Kansas City Royals, and Melvin, the GM of the Milwaukee Brewers, pitched each other back and forth on how to send Zack Greinke to Milwaukee. The Brewers, a team on the cusp, needed Greinke to make them a legitimate playoff contender in 2011. The Royals, a team going nowhere, had no use for Greinke and needed young major league talent in return.

Greinke was the main piece of the deal, and shortstop Alcides Escobar the big return piece for the Royals, but Lorenzo Cain was one of the sticking points for Moore. He wanted him included, and while Melvin was hesitant, Greinke’s impact was too great to hold out—and the Brewers’ GM eventually included Cain, among others, with Escobar.

Almost four years later, the baseball universe now knows why Moore insisted on Cain’s inclusion. Cain, a versatile outfielder, is a key reason the Royals are up 2-0 on the Baltimore Orioles after Saturday’s 6-4 win in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, two wins away from the World Series.

“That [trade] was the start of putting together a championship baseball team,” manager Ned Yost said in his postgame press conference. “That’s where it started, with that Greinke trade.”

Cain is 6-for-8 in the ALCS—he went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs in Game 2—and 10-for-27 (.370) in his first six postseason games. He has also played stellar defense, adding to his highlight reel with two fantastic catches Saturday, including one that he seemed to run a marathon to reach in the right-center gap and another in the seventh to end the inning with two runners in scoring position in a tied game.

“I’m just trying to do the best I can to be a playmaker behind [the pitchers],” Cain told the TBS broadcast after the game. “I felt like I was in right field [on that one].”

Not saying Lorenzo Cain has range, but he also has two TD catches on CBS and an interception on ESPN2.

— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 11, 2014

Cain’s four hits in Game 2 also tied a franchise record for most in a single playoff game. George Brett did it twice.

“I want to be an all-around player, swing the bat and play solid defense and steal bags as well,” Cain told MLB Network after the game. “I still got work to do, I still got things to work on but I’m trying to improve each and every day and become a great ballplayer.”

Cain’s star has been budding since before the Greinke trade. The Brewers called him up midway through the 2010 season, and in 158 plate appearances, he hit .306/.348/.415 with 11 doubles and seven stolen bases. He also played wonderful defense in that short time, but the Brewers had traded for Carlos Gomez the year before and already had Ryan Braun and Corey Hart entrenched in the outfield.

They didn’t want to let Cain go, but he was expendable at the time.

“Lorenzo was really raw at that time,” said Yost, who managed the Brewers from 2003 to 2008 and saw plenty of Brewers prospects over that time. “But you could tell with his athleticism that he might turn into one heck of a player, and he sure has.”

This season was Cain’s breakout campaign. After struggling to find himself in three seasons with the Royals, Cain, who only found baseball after being cut from his high school basketball team, played himself into the regular lineup after the first month of the regular season, hitting .333/.364/.381, and proved he was worthy of staying in it during the next month with a .342/.400/.474 line and .874 OPS. Cain finished the season hitting .301/.339/.412 with a .751 OPS and 108 OPS-plus.

Defensively, Cain has been a wizard. He was second in the league with 24 defensive runs saved behind teammate Alex Gordon and second in ultimate zone rating, also behind Gordon. It can be argued that Gordon’s outstanding defensive season, which is no fluke, was aided by having Cain patrolling center field for more than 700 innings.

Those numbers are evidence that at 28 years old, Cain is finally fulfilling the potential the Brewers and Royals saw four years ago. And this postseason stage is the perfect setting for the baseball world to see the wannabe basketball player-turned-baseball stud become an October star.

“I’m really happy about it,” Yost said. “He had a great day today, four hits, made some great plays in the outfield, none bigger for me than that ball J.J. Hardy hit down the right-field line [in the seventh]. He came out of nowhere and caught it. I thought for sure that ball was going to drop when it first left the bat, and all of the sudden here he comes and makes the play.

“The country is seeing a very exciting player in Lorenzo Cain.”

All signs point to Cain continuing to be an impact player on both offense and defense for the rest of the series, and he is 4-for-12 lifetime (.333) against Game 3 starter Wei-Yin Chen. If this breakout run continues, it will make the Orioles’ road to a comeback much more difficult.

Anthony Witrado covers Major League Baseball for Bleacher Report. He spent the previous three seasons as the national baseball columnist at Sporting News, and four years before that as the Brewers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are used to competing in the National League Championship Series, but the team that advances from here is the one that gets the biggest contributions from key players.

Whichever squad advances to the World Series, it will be the fifth year in a row the NL representative will be one of these two teams. This has led to plenty of postseason experience and a lot of confidence from each side of the field.

Still, important players on both teams have struggled in the early going of the playoffs. These stars will need to turn things around in a hurry if they want to keep playing in October.

Adam Wainwright, Cardinals

After he had a disappointing opening start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, there were serious concerns about Adam Wainwright’s elbow. The All-Star only pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 11 hits and six runs, equal to the amount of runs he allowed in the entire month of September.

Despite the struggles, manager Mike Matheny feels his top pitcher can adjust to his problems. He explained in a recent press conference:

Waino was struggling to find a good feel that Game 1 and that’s why it looked very a-typical of Adam Wainwright. But that’s happened at different times throughout our season and he’s been able to bounce back and figure it out and make it work–not just make it work, be an elite pitcher. He’s fine.

The Cardinals will need him to be an elite pitcher because despite a deep rotation, he is by far the best on the roster. Wainwright finished the year with 20 wins and a 2.38 ERA, with only Johnny Cueto and Clayton Kershaw posting better numbers in the National League.

When he is at his best, Wainwright is a true stopper who can get St. Louis a much-needed win in any situation. However, a bad start could change the entire outlook of the rest of the series. The Cardinals do not want this to happen.

Jhonny Peralta, Cardinals

Thanks to injuries and various departures, Jhonny Peralta was thrust into an important role in his first year with the Cardinals. He responded with 21 home runs and 75 RBI while playing solid defense throughout the season.

After being elevated to the No. 4 spot in the batting order, though, Peralta has started to struggle. In four games against the Dodgers, the shortstop managed just a .214 batting average with one extra-base hit and zero RBI.

While Peralta did have a few key hits in the series, it was not quite what the team has come to expect from him over the course of the year. With Yadier Molina struggling behind him in the order as well, there is more pressure on the shortstop to come through.

The good news is the talent is there and the matchups could lead to plenty of success. Madison Bumgarner is a tough lefty, but Peralta did well against lefties this season, totaling an OPS 128 points higher than against righties. If he gets his team off to a good start, he could have a very good series.

Hunter Pence, Giants

In the field, Hunter Pence showed the ability to come through in the clutch with a great against-the-wall catch in Game 4 against the Washington Nationals, as described by Jayson Stark of ESPN:

However, he did not display his clutch ability at the plate despite getting at least one hit in every game. The outfielder went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and was a poster boy for the entire team’s struggles in this area. The Giants have had the most opportunities with runners in scoring position in the postseason but hit just .176 in that situation.

The only teams in the last round that performed worse, the Nationals and Los Angeles Angels, are watching the rest of the playoffs from home.

This is a bit of a concern for San Francisco since timely hitting was a key to its success throughout the year. The team led the majors with a .259 batting average with two outs and runners in scoring position—led by Pence who had an incredible .404 mark in this situation.

The Giants were lucky Washington could not come through in big moments, but the Cardinals will not give away opportunities. They have to make sure to bring home runners when they can in order to succeed in this series.

Hunter Strickland, Giants

Hunter Strickland earned a spot on the postseason roster thanks to an incredible performance throughout September, pitching seven scoreless innings without a single walk. He continued his lights-out pitching with his playoff debut in Game 1, as Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan stated:

Unfortunately, this was followed up with solo home runs allowed to Bryce Harper and Asdrubal Cabrera. When Strickland faced Harper again in Game 4, the result was the same with a long shot into McCovey Cove.

As a result, Strickland goes into the NLCS with a 9.00 ERA. Jean Machi (4.50) is the only other player on the Giants staff with a postseason ERA above 2.00.

While you can blame a small sample size for these numbers, the important thing for Strickland is to not lose confidence after giving up a few long shots in the last round. He has to remain aggressive against the talented Cardinals hitters and remain a key player in the San Francisco bullpen. Otherwise, his mistakes could start leading to losses.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

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Keep it right here for all the live updates of the much-anticipated Giants vs. Cardinals Game 1 NLCS matchup. Who will draw first blood? We’ll be the first to let you know!

SCORE Update: Giants 3 – 0 Cardinals, Bottom 9th

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Entering the postseason, the Kansas City Royals were blazoned as a solid baseball team that didn’t exactly have a good enough rotation or enough power at the plate to go deep into October. Well, after an 8-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, that all changed.

The Royals were already known for savvy baserunning, as the team’s overall speed was great, and that translated to an impressive 153 stolen bases over the regular season. The team’s prowess on the bags got it through a wild-card game against the Oakland Athletics and had plenty to do with the sweep of the Los Angeles Angles in the American League Division Series.

Heading into the ALCS, the Royals were the feel-good story of the MLB postseason, but without a reliable long ball or a deep pitching staff, defeating the Orioles would be a tall order.

Well, just when we thought we knew exactly what Kansas City brought to the table, it threw us a big curveball on Friday, tallying three home runs en route to a big road to start the series. Don’t look now, but prior to Saturday’s game, Kansas City’s seven total playoff jacks top all 2014 postseason teams.

The power is coming at the right time, via ESPN Stats & Info:

So, that means the Royals have speed on the bases and power at the plate? Yes.

With the base-running abilities of Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson, Alex Gordon and Terrance Gore, and the resurgent slugging of Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, this is suddenly a very dynamic offensive squad and is simply a shadow of a shadow of its regular-season form that ranked just 14th in the league in runs scored.

All right, so the Royals suddenly have some offense, but they still had a pitching staff that ranked 12th in the regular season with a 3.51 ERA. Well, that’s apparently changed as well.

Following Friday’s contest, Kansas City’s pitching staff has a combined 3.40 ERA in the postseason. That doesn’t seem like much of a difference from the team’s regular-season numbers, but the stats don’t tell the whole story.

While starter James Shields started strong, he faltered in the fifth and the bullpen was called into action. Rookie Brandon Finnegan entered the game in the sixth. He was charged with an earned run, but it came off a strange occurrence, as Jonathan Schoop reached third after being hit in the back when attempting to steal. He ended up scoring on a blooper over the mound.

Here’s a look at the odd situation:

Still, Kansas City’s bullpen continued to be brilliant thereafter. Both Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis—who are both used to one-inning outings—each pitched two innings without allowing a single earned run to help close out the game.

The team’s rotation is also backed up by some very solid defending. This remarkable diving catch by Gordon in the third inning is just one small example:

All of a sudden, the Royals are a team that can hit the long ball, manufacture runs with a bevy of quick base-runners, maintain solid pitching throughout a game and play some solid defense. That’s the definition of a well-rounded club.

Chase Goodbread of NFL.com summed the team’s recent play up nicely:

While all of those attributes are impressive, the team’s resilience is its most dangerous quality. Kansas City has seen adversity several times in the 2014 postseason, and it has emerged victorious each and every time. That trait equates to playoff wins, and the Royals’ recent play has been a testament to that.

Here’s a great statistic regarding the team’s ability to overcome adversity, via ESPN Stats & Info:

Moustakas summed the team’s resilience up in a statement during a press conference, via Dick Kaegel of MLB.com, “That’s what this team does. We overcome obstacles that are put in front of us every time. That just goes back to us believing in each other.”

Baltimore is a very talented team. However, a loss at home in Game 1 to a surging Kansas City team that remains full of confidence and momentum doesn’t bode well for the remainder of the series.

The Royals are certainly this year’s Cinderella team, and given how an impressive Game 1 victory in Baltimore has already put the ALCS in their favor, this story will continue through to the World Series.

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For the fourth consecutive season, the St. Louis Cardinals are going to the National League Championship Series.

The Cards once again got to stud Clayton Kershaw late in the game on Tuesday, this time with a three-run bomb from Matt Adams to secure the 3-2 victory and 3-1 series win.

MLB.com provided a look at the final out and ensuing on-field celebration:

Not seen in that video is catcher Yadier Molina’s instant-classic reaction. Fortunately, MLB’s Twitter feed caught that moment in all of its glory:

Of course, it wasn’t all just reckless pig-piling and mauling of teammates. Before he participated in the celebration, skipper Mike Matheny offered a tip of the cap to the Dodgers dugout:

Adams, who hadn’t hit a home run against a left-handed pitcher since July, stepped to the plate in the seventh with two on and the Cards trailing by two. Following in the footsteps of Matt Carpenter, who had hit three out of the park in the first three games of the series, Adams came through with the big blast in a surprising moment.

Even more out of the ordinary, he did it against the normally devastating curveball from Kershaw. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan noted the rarity of the situation:

Afterwards, Matheny suggested the appropriate way for the 26-year-old first baseman to celebrate, via Fox Sports:

It’s unknown if there was skipping involved, but Adams—like the rest of the team—partook in the dumping and spraying of alcoholic beverages in the locker room. The team’s official Twitter feed has the proof:

If anyone knows how to really commemorate an NLDS win, it’s probably the Cardinals, who have gotten in a bunch of practice over the past several years. And it appears the back-to-back-to-back-to-back NLDS wins have given them a chance to get a little innovative with their celebrations. With Budweiser rations aplenty, they opted to commence one of the more sticky water-gun fights:

Carlos Martinez also got into the act. Well, he tried, at least:

With Game 1 of the NLCS not until Saturday, the Cardinals will likely be memorializing this victory well into the night.

Once the hangovers—both of joy and alcohol—wear off, it will be time to readjust focus toward Washington or San Francisco, who can both present a difficult challenge next round. After beating Kershaw, the best pitcher in the league, for the fourth time in two postseasons, though, the Cardinals have earned the right to have a little fun and relax.

Again.

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Prior to the 2014 MLB season, hardly anyone would have predicted the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles to be playing for the American League pennant. Now, just four wins separate both teams from the World Series.

How big is Kansas City’s run so far? So huge that the Google search for “Royals” now comes up with more results about Kansas City than Lorde. That’s what a run can do for a team with just four postseason wins.

For Baltimore, it’s facing a team coming off a dominant four-game playoff winning streak and a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels. Even against the gritty Royals, the Orioles have confidence after downing three straight Cy Young winners and the Detroit Tigers.

With Game 1 set to begin Friday night, below is the full schedule and prediction for the American League Championship Series.

ALCS Prediction

When the postseason gets underway, pitching is one of the most crucial components to making a deep run. Both the Orioles and Royals were able to contain potent lineups in the division series, but it’s Kansas City that has the more complete rotation.

The one man at the top is none other than James Shields. Since acquiring Big Game James prior to the 2013 season, he has produced stellar starts nearly every time he’s toed the rubber.

James, who will be the starter in Game 1, according to Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star (h/t Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com), went six innings against the Angels in Game 3 of the ALDS, surrendering just two runs on six hits with six strikeouts. More impressively, the bullpen behind him can shut down even high-powered lineups, per MLB Stat of the Day:

If Shields, Yordano Ventura or any other starter falters, the bullpen will be there to pick them up in this series. Equipped with solid arms like Wade Davis and Greg Holland, Kansas City has a massive advantage at the end of games.

On the other side, the Orioles pitching staff is often overlooked in the American League. But after limiting the Tigers to three runs or fewer in two games, they were able to make a statement in the division series.

Chris Tillman and Bud Norris were strong on the mound in Games 1 and 3, respectively, giving Baltimore a chance to pull off two wins. Catcher Caleb Joseph spoke about his battery mates, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com:

We know our starters are really good, and they know they’re really good. They’ve really carried us for a long time now. They’re a close-knit group and they do certain things that I know a lot of other teams don’t do. They’re very into each other’s work. They participate in each others’ bullpens and stuff like that. It’s one of the small things that people don’t see behind the lights that’s helped keep them together. If they give us quality starts, we like our chances.

Along with the stout staffs, both teams also have plenty of pop in the lineup. But one man with plenty of experience in the postseason might be the difference for the Orioles in this matchup.

Nelson Cruz has been one of the best playoff power hitters in the MLB over the last several seasons, proving that point again with two homers in the ALDS. ESPN Stats & Info puts his recent numbers in perspective:

Currently, Cruz is tied with Carlos Beltran for ninth all time in postseason homers. With just two more dingers against the Royals, he would move into a tie with Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle for fifth—pretty elite company to say the least.

All things equal, the Orioles lineup will be the difference-maker in this series. Both franchises have proven they can step up in clutch situations, but Baltimore simply has more firepower with Cruz, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones at the plate.

Prediction: Orioles win in six games.

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