Per Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star, Royals manager Ned Yost announced this afternoon that Jeremy Guthrie will start against the Orioles when the ALCS shifts to Kansas City for Game 3 on Monday.
Like Miguel Gonzalez with the Orioles, Guthrie wasn’t needed during the ALDS, so he hasn’t pitched since September 26. The 35-year-old right-hander compiled a 4.13 ERA and 124/39 K/BB ratio over 202 2/3 innings this season. Monday will be his first career postseason appearance. And he’ll be doing it against a team he spent five seasons with from 2007-2011.
Yost wouldn’t go as far to confirm his Game 4 starter quite yet, but he said that Jason Vargas will “probably” get the assignment. This means that Danny Duffy, who had a 2.53 ERA during the regular season, will remain in the bullpen. McCullough writes that the main reason he’s pitching in relief is because he struggled to throw strikes out of the stretch during his final two starts.
