While the Kansas City Royals remain ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, the American League Championship Series is still not over.
Kansas City was hoping to take a commanding lead of the series with a home game Monday, but the action was postponed due to rain, as noted by Sports Illustrated:
The series will now be pushed back, with Game 3 taking place on Tuesday and, if necessary, Game 5 taking the spot of Thursday’s scheduled off day.
Although the Royals keep the 2-0 lead, they will hope that the extra day off does not slow the momentum that has helped win each of the first six games of the postseason. Meanwhile, the Orioles will get to refocus their efforts on coming back in this series.
Here is a look at what to expect from Game 3 between these two high-energy teams.
Where: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Date: Tuesday, October 14
Time: 8:07 p.m. ET
Channel: TBS
Live Stream: Postseason.TV ($4.99 fee)
After losing the first two games of the series at home, the Orioles remain positive with their ability to come back. First baseman Steve Pearce explained, via Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com:
Obviously we’re bummed that we didn’t take any in this home series. I think we’re back to being the underdog and we’re good at fighting back and they’ve got to win four.
We’ve been backed into corners all year. This isn’t new for us. We’ll have that scratch-and-claw feeling we’ve had all year and find a way to get it done.
It is important that these statements are actually believed by the entire team and not just for show because that will decide the rest of the series.
At this point of the year, the mental part of the game means a lot more than the physical side. The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels had the most complete rosters in the majors but lost in the first round of the playoffs because they were unprepared for the pressure of the postseason.
Based on talent, Baltimore can make things very difficult for Kansas City. With a lineup that produced the most home runs in the majors, the team can score in bunches. Of course, Alex Gordon once again reminded everyone that it does not matter what happens in the regular season:
The Royals continually find a way to make things happen when they need it most.
Matt Winer of Turner Sports tried his best effort of explaining this team:
Every time it seems like Kansas City is about to falter, someone steps up either at the plate or on the mound. Each player is doing his part to help the team win the pennant.
If the squad can keep this up, there is not much Baltimore can do. It will be especially difficult with a pitching staff that has struggled to go deep into games in the series. Wei-Yin Chen will hope to change this, but his struggles in the American League Division Series (five earned runs in 3.2 innings) do not bode well for a turnaround.
The Orioles can make things interesting with a win on Tuesday, but this game seems likely to go to the home team in Kansas City.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com