Royals win Wild Card Series

The Kansas City Royals secured a narrow 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of their American League Wild Card series, marking their first playoff appearance since 2015. Cole Ragans delivered a stellar performance, throwing six shutout innings and striking out eight, while Bobby Witt Jr. drove in the game's only run with a sixth-inning single. The win puts the Royals one step closer to advancing to the AL Division Series, with Game 2 scheduled to feature All-Star Seth Lugo on the mound. Baltimore's loss extends their postseason losing streak to nine games, a record dating back to 2014. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers also started their playoff run with a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros, led by Tarik Skubal's six scoreless innings. The Tigers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2014, under manager A.J. Hinch, who previously led the Astros to a World Series title.