BALTIMORE—The Orioles entered the Wild Card Series having won five of their last six games, believing that their bats had awakened from a long slumber and they would end their postseason frustration.
But the Kansas City Royals, who didn’t clinch the second wild-card spot until after the Orioles completed Sunday’s final game of the regular season, beat the Orioles in two games to win the Wild Card Series and extend Baltimore’s postseason losing streak to 10 games. The Texas Rangers swept the Orioles last year in the Division Series.
After winning Game 1, 1-0, the Royals defeated the Orioles, 2-1, in Game 2 on Wednesday before 38,698 at Camden Yards.
The eventual series-winning run scored in the top of the sixth on Bobby Witt’s infield single.
In 18 innings, the Orioles had one run, on Cedric Mullins’ home run, and 11 hits.
Mullins’ home run brought the crowd to life and appeared to spark a rally. Ramón Urías followed with a single, Gunnar Henderson walked and Jordan Westburg reached to load the bases when Kansas City starter Seth Lugo fumbled his tapper to the left of the mound.
But with the bases loaded and none out in a 1-1 games, Anthony Santander popped out, Colton Cowser struck out on a pitch that hit his left hand and Adley Rutschman grounded to short.
After Lugo left with one out in the fifth, Kansas City’s bullpen allowed only one hit, to Austin Slater with two outs in the eighth, and only one walk, to Westburg, with two outs in the seventh.
The Royals move on to New York to play the Yankees in the best three-of-five Division Series, beginning Saturday while the Orioles face an offseason with many questions.
Their top starter, Corbin Burnes, who was brilliant in a Game 1 loss, and rightfielder Anthony Santander will be free agents.
Their No. 2 starter, Zach Eflin, worked just four innings and threw 75 pitches on Wednesday before manager Brandon Hyde desperately tried to match up, using six relievers.
Michael Massey led off the game with a double and moved to third on Witt’s grounder to second. Massey scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s single to left to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.
MJ Melendez, who overran Ramón Urías’ fly ball in Game 1, made a fine running catch on Urías’ fly to begin the bottom of the third.
The Orioles had a scoring chance in the bottom of the fourth when Santander led off with a single. After Cowser struck out, Rutschman singled. With runners on first and second, Ryan O’Hearn hit a sharp liner to second that Massey caught on a hop with diving stop to his right. His throw to first was in time, and with runners on second and third, Ryan Mountcastle flied to right.
Eflin allowed one run on four hits, walked one and struck out three.
Danny Coulombe got the first two outs of the top of the fifth before Pasquantino singled. Jacob Webb hit Salvador Perez with a pitch, walked Yuli Gurriel before striking out Melendez with the bases loaded.
Kyle Isbel was safe at first on a chopper to third with one out against Cionel Pérez in the sixth. After Pérez struck out Maikel Garcia, Massey’s bloop single to center sent Massey to third.
Yennier Cano replaced Pérez and Witt was safe on an infield single on which Westburg made a fine play at second. It scored Isbel and put the Royals ahead, 2-1. Westburg might have had a force play at second on Massey, but it appeared that Henderson was too far in the hole to cover second, and Witt beat Westburg’s throw to first.
While Cano warmed up, Cowser summoned head athletic trainer Brian Ebel to the outfield and he played catch with Mullins, finished the inning, but was replaced by Heston Kjerstad in left. Cowser has a fractured left hand.
Zerpa struck out pinch-hitter Austin Slater to begin the sixth. Mountcastle struck out against John Schreiber, who retired Mullins on a fly to left and struck out Urías to start the seventh.
Sam Long struck out Henderson, walked Westburg and Santander flied to center to end the seventh.
Kjerstad lined to short and Rutschman grounded to short in the bottom of the eighth against Kris Bubic. Slater singled to left, and Mountcastle hit into a force.
Mullins and Urías grounded out against Lucas Erceg in the ninth, and Henderson struck out to send the Orioles home for the winter.