BALTIMORE — Cole Ragans used to watch Cole Hamels carve up opposing lineups during the Philadelphia Phillies’ deep postseason runs more than a decade ago.
Ragans models his mechanics after the former Phillies left-hander, bringing both hands over his head during his wind-up before slinging the ball toward home plate.
The resemblance was spot-on Tuesday.
Ragans struck out eight over six scoreless innings in his playoff debut, Bobby Witt Jr. drove in the go-ahead run and the visiting Kansas City Royals blanked the Orioles 1-0 in their American League wild-card series opener.
Kansas City, which played its first playoff game since winning the 2015 World Series, can clinch the best-of-three series with a win Wednesday. Game 3, if necessary, would be Thursday in Baltimore.
Ragans (1-0) scattered four hits and did not walk a batter while throwing 60 of his 80 pitches for strikes. He exited after the sixth inning with cramping in his left calf.
Witt, also in his first postseason appearance, drove in Maikel Garcia with a two-out single against Corbin Burnes (0-1) to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning.
Sam Long pitched a perfect seventh and Lucas Erceg escaped a jam in the eighth and worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to secure a four-out save.
The Orioles lost their ninth straight postseason game dating to 2014.
Burnes shined in his Baltimore postseason debut, scattering five hits over eight-plus innings while striking out three. His only walk came with one out in the sixth to Garcia, who stole second and advanced on a groundout before Witt singled him home through the left side.
Baltimore squandered a chance to break through in the third after Cedric Mullins doubled off the right field wall to start the inning. James McCann struck out and Gunnar Henderson grounded out before MJ Melendez caught Jordan Westburg’s drive deep in left to keep the game scoreless.
Ragans escaped trouble again in the fifth, fanning McCann and Henderson after the Orioles put runners on first and third with one out.
Baltimore wasted another scoring chance in the eighth after Henderson and Westburg reached with two outs against Kris Bubic. Erceg entered with runners on first and second and retired Anthony Santander on a grounder to Witt at shortstop.
Burnes, in his first season in Baltimore after being acquired from Milwaukee in February, exited to a rousing ovation after Garica singled to lead off the ninth.
–Tanner Malinowski, Field Level Media