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The Kansas City Royals trusted left-hander Cole Ragans to come through in his MLB playoffs debut in a frenzied environment, and he did that and more in Tuesday's 1-0 win versus the Baltimore Orioles. The All-Star pitcher left everything on the mound in Camden Yards, and unfortunately, was removed after the sixth inning due to cramps, per the team.
Despite the physical hindrance, Ragans posted a terrific effort. He did not give up a run and only surrendered four hits while striking out eight batters and walking none. Royals manager Matt Quatraro probably would have preferred to squeeze one more inning out of his red-hot hurler (1.08 ERA in four September starts), considering bullpen preservation is so crucial in this best-of-three American League Wild Card Series.
Nevertheless, Ragans put Kansas City in position to snag Game 1. Fans were treated to a pitching duel as advertised, with Orioles ace Corbin Burnes tossing eight innings of one-run ball. Royals pillar Bobby Witt Jr. broke the scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, notching a base hit in between third base and shortstop to bring home Maikel Garcia.
The bullpen stayed strong and thwarted a deep Baltimore lineup and fervid home crowd, preserving the win for Ragans and Kansas City. Quatraro's persistent club is only one victory away from upsetting who many believed to be the AL's team to beat before the start of the 2024 MLB campaign.
Can the Royals close out the Orioles?
The Royals' shaky last stretch of the season and limited offensive firepower make them a bit difficult to trust in October, but the combination of Witt's stardom, small ball savvy and stalwart pitching might just be enough to extend this improbable run. Right-hander and prized free agency signing Seth Lugo will try to finish off the dazed O's on Wednesday.
Ragans, who started battling cramps when facing his final two batters of the sixth inning, said he could have come back out for the seventh, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. The 26-year-old should be ready to go in the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees if his team advances.
Hopefully, he feels better by the end of the day and has some time to properly appreciate the clutch effort he just churned out in the biggest game of his career.
