The Kansas City Royals are at it again.
Looking intent on winning the American League for the second straight year, the Royals have taken both Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays. The October magic they mustered up a year ago is making a return and could propel them to another World Series appearance.
As the best-of-seven series shifts north of the border for three games, however, anything can happen with the series still relatively young and a supremely talented Blue Jays squad on the ropes. Here’s a look at everything to know for Game 3 and beyond.
ALCS Schedule (Royals Lead 2-0)
World Series Odds
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Perhaps David Price has earned some of his subpar reputation when it comes to playoff struggles. But it’s hard to come away from Game 2 and think he’s the Blue Jays’ problem in this series.
Yes, Price eventually got burned in a five-run seventh inning that allowed the Royals to take a stranglehold over the ALCS. Yes, his postseason career record slipped even further. But without an outfield error that started that seventh-inning run, Price may have pitched a complete-game shutout.
Price was about to retire his 19th straight batter before that error, but instead his outing will be remembered like this, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:
While losing in the playoffs is nothing new for Price, it’s also not new for these Royals to turn it on when the odds are against them.
They did it twice in the ALDS, battling back from multiple-run deficits to win games. One of them came in Game 4 at Houston, trailing by four runs only to win and extend the series—eventually taking Game 5 and advancing.
They were in a similar hole Saturday, yet they didn’t blink and came through again, as MLB noted:
Behind the heady offensive play of Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and more, the Royals have found their small-ball formula for success, just like they did in last year’s postseason. Add onto that an 11-game hitting streak from Lorenzo Cain and pitching that hasn’t lost a beat, and you have yourself a team proving it can run the table.
Kansas City may not have the firepower offensively that Toronto can boast, and we don’t know how that will translate when the series shifts to the Blue Jays’ ballpark. But it looks increasingly likely that the Royals will be able to execute on what they’re trying to do, and if that’s the case, the World Series has their name on it.
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