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ALCS Game 1 gamethread and game notes

The big question: whether rain will prevent the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals from playing

Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1: Baltimore Orioles vs. Kansas City Royals

Time: 8:07 p.m. | TV: TBS

Blogs: Camden Chat | Royals Review

Lineups

Today's Lineups

KANSAS CITY ROYALS BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Alcides Escobar - SS Nick Markakis - RF
Norichika Aoki - RF Alejandro De Aza - LF
Lorenzo Cain - CF Adam Jones - CF
Eric Hosmer - 1B Nelson Cruz - DH
Billy Butler - DH Steve Pearce - 1B
Alex Gordon - LF J.J. Hardy - SS
Salvador Perez - C Ryan Flaherty - 3B
Omar Infante - 2B Nick Hundley - C
Mike Moustakas - 3B Jonathan Schoop - 2B
James Shields - RHP Chris Tillman - RHP

The forecast calls for rain tonight, and it could be heavy enough to postpone it. If that's the case, the Baltimore Sun says:

In the event that Friday's game is postponed, then Game 1 would be rescheduled for Saturday and Game 2 shifted from Saturday likely to Sunday, according to an Orioles official. Tickets to Friday's game would be honored Saturday, and tickets for the game originally scheduled for Saturday would be honored for the rescheduled Game 2. Times for rescheduled games have not been made public.

"If Game 1 begins but is halted due to weather, it would be deemed a suspended game and completed when possible -- a situation that MLB will work to avoid," the website posting said. Under a 2009 rule, postseason games cannot be shortened by inclement weather.

The 100 percent rain chance forecast "doesn’t mean it'll be raining the entire time, but there will be showers in the area," said Greg Schoor, another weather service meteorologist. Schoor said he expects light to moderate rain -- "just enough to wet the ground kind of rain", he said.

Worth watching: Orioles starter Chris Tillman vs. the Royals running game.

Tillman has allowed just two stolen bases over 11 attempts over the last two seasons combined. That's two stolen bases over 413 innings. Jeff Sullivan looked into it, and the key seems to be his shaky left foot.

You see that? You see the way that Tillman comes set? It’s subtle, until you notice it, and then you can’t not notice it. He puts his hand in his glove up at his chest, then he very slowly lowers his hands to his belt while his left foot taps in front of him. From first base, it looks like Tillman’s in constant motion, until he comes set and steady.