After defeating the Orioles in 10 innings in Game 1 of the ALCS last night, the Royals are off to a quick start this afternoon.
Bud Norris caught a rocket line drive off the bat of Alcides Escobar to begin the ballgame, but he then gave up an opposite-field single to Nori Aoki before Lorenzo Cain doubled into the right-field corner to put runners at second and third. Eric Hosmer then got jammed on a pitch and broke his bat in the process, but he managed to drop a ball in shallow left field just beyond the reach of a diving J.J. Hardy. Two runs scored on the play thanks to a magnificent read by Cain.
Norris got Billy Butler to ground out to first and struck out Alex Gordon looking to avoid further damage, but the Orioles trail 2-0 going into the bottom of the first inning in Baltimore. Yordano Ventura is on the hill for the Royals.