BALTIMORE (AP) — Corbin Burnes threw one masterful cutter after another, cruising through the Kansas City Royals' order like the ace he has been all season for the Baltimore Orioles.
One costly mistake in the sixth inning paved the way to a painful postseason loss.
Burnes walked No. 9 hitter Maikel Garcia, who subsequently stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. Bobby Witt Jr.'s softly hit single into left field drove in the only run of the game, and the Orioles got pushed to the brink of early elimination with a 1-0 loss in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday.
“The walk hurt," Burnes said. “The walk cost us the game.”
It was the only walk issued in eight-plus innings by the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, a pending free agent who flashed some of his best stuff in what could be his final start for Baltimore. Burnes allowed just five hits, struck out three and was left to lament not getting Garcia out at what turned out to be the most crucial moment of the game.
“If I attack him a little better and don’t walk him, we get through there, 0-0 ballgame and we’ve got a chance,” said Burnes, who induced popouts from Witt in the AL batting champion's first two at-bats. “He didn’t hit it very hard. It just found a hole, and that was the difference in the game.”
Burnes did just about everything he needed to do to put the Orioles one win away from a spot in the Division Series against the New York Yankees and drew rave reviews from teammates and opponents alike.
“Incredible,” said Zach Eflin, who's set to start Game 2 for Baltimore on Wednesday. “From pitch one, he set the tone. That’s exactly what a No. 1 does. He’s done it all year and his whole career.”
Royals leadoff hitter Michael Massey singled to open the game before Burnes retired the next 12 batters and looked locked in. Not much fazed him otherwise.
“He’s got really good stuff," Massey said. “He’s a good competitor. He changes speeds. He works in and out. His stuff moves late. You think it’s going to be in one spot and you swing there — and it’s not there.”
After Burnes, who allowed 41 runners to steal a base off him during the regular season, walked Garcia, manager Brandon Hyde said he was leaving it up to his pitcher to decide whether to intentionally walk Witt and face Vinnie Pasquantino, who was coming back from right thumb surgery. Catcher James McCann never considered it.
“No, not really,” McCann said. “Not with Burnes.”
The soon-to-be 30-year-old right-hander got through eight innings and became the first starter to throw a pitch in the ninth in the playoffs since Washington's Stephen Strasburg in Game 6 of the 2019 World Series against Houston. Garcia singled off Burnes, sending him off to a standing ovation.
“He did his part, pitched absolutely fantastic,” Hyde said. “(He) showed me all year what kind of pitcher he is, and he even stepped up in this game even more.”
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