The Kansas City Royals will open up the American League Championship Series Friday night against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Royals began preparing for post-season play prior to even knowing that they would make it to the post-season.

“I believe that you have to manage with a different sense of urgency in the post-season, and we started doing it I think about two and a half weeks out,” says Ned Yost, Royals Manager. “We wanted to try and get in post-season mode about two and a half weeks out before we got into the post-season, so that our guys would be prepared for it.”

Kansas City snapped there 29 year post-season drought on September 30th in a 9-8 win over the Oakland Athletics in 13 innings. They would then go on to sweep the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League Division Series in three games.

James Shields will get the start Friday night when the Royals open the ALCS against the Orioles. Shields went 27-17 with a 3.17 ERA in 68 regular-season starts for Kansas City. He is 2-0 in the post-season picking up the win against the Athletics in the wildcard game and game three against the Angels. 

Sheilds credited the Royals defense,”these guys put on probably one of the best displays of defense in one series I’ve ever seen, against the Angels. You know as a pitcher that’s your best friend, is defense. You have to trust your defense and I think we have one of the best in the league. Obviously the Orioles have a great defense as well, and it’s going to be a good matchup.”

The Royals and Orioles will face off Friday night night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in a 7:00 p.m. first pitch.