KC Royals pitcher Michael Wacha starts ALDS Game 1 at NY Yankees; Next, Ragans

The Kansas City Royals are back in the American League Divisional Series for the first time since 2015.

On Wednesday, the Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles to continue their improbable postseason journey. KC is now tasked with playing another AL East team – the New York Yankees.

The Royals will start right-hander Michael Wacha in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5:38 p.m. Central Time on TBS. Fans can also stream the game on Max.

Wacha posted a 13-8 record with a 3.35 ERA in 29 starts this season. He pitched 166 2/3 innings and was dynamic in the second half of the season, winning seven of 13 games after the All-Star break.

“It’s been a while since I started in the postseason,” Wacha said. “You know, I’m definitely looking forward to the next one. But I try not to put too much emphasis on it. Whenever I made these postseason starts, I tried to approach it like any other game.”

The Royals and Yankees, of course, enjoyed a fierce postseason rivalry in the 1970s. On Saturday, the Yankees plan to start ace Gerrit Cole. The 2023 Cy Young winner has a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts this season; The Royals did not face Cole in any of their regular season series against the Yankees.

Royals outfielder Tommy Pham has the most experience against Cole. He is batting .379 (11 for 29) with two home runs and six RBIs against him. Royals captain Salvador Perez has one hit — albeit a home run — against him.

The Royals will use left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans in Game 2 on Monday. Ragans was masterful in the AL Wild Card Series against the Orioles. He pitched six shutout innings as the Royals earned a 1-0 victory in the series opener.

KC has not yet decided on a pitcher for Game 3 as the series moves to Kansas City on Wednesday. It will be the first postseason game at Kauffman Stadium since 2015, when the Royals won the World Series.