Baltimore Orioles Name Game One Starter For American League Wild Card Round

The Baltimore Orioles have named their game one starter for their American League Wild Card marchup with the Kansas City Royals.

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The Baltimore Orioles were in contention for the American League East Division Championship for most of the season, but struggled down the stretch, conceding the title to the New York Yankees.

While it is not the situation that they hoped for, they do still find themselves in the postseason, with a Wild Card matchup beginning Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals.

The Orioles have announced their game one starter for the matchup, veteran righty Corbin Burnes.

Burnes, 29, enters the playoffs off of a year that saw him pitch to a 2.92 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and 181 strikeouts across 194 1/3 innings in 32 starts.

The ace finished fourth in the American League in ERA, tied for fifth in wins (15), tied for 10th in strikeouts, eighth in WHIP, and third in innings pitched.

Burnes was a frontrunner for the American League Cy Young Award over the first half of the season, but could not keep up with Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal who won the American League Triple Crown.

Burnes made two starts against the Royals this season, both coming in April.

In those starts, he allowed a combined five earned runs on 13 hits and one walk while striking out seven in 11 1/3 innings, and going 1-0 in decisions for those contests.

The veteran has put it back together down the stretch, pitching to a 2.21 ERA over his last seven starts with a 1.06 WHIP and 37 strikeouts across 40 2/3 innings.

Burnes was the obvious choice to start game one for the Orioles, as he has been their best pitcher by far, and he will be a great way to kick off their portion of the 2024 postseason.