On Friday night, in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, the sports world witnessed an inning of baseball that showcased everything you need to know about these Kansas City Royals.
The score was tied at three in the bottom of the eighth: Lorenzo Cain stood at first base, Eric Hosmer was at the plate. Facing Toronto’s young closer, Roberto Osuna, KC’s first baseman lifted a ball to right field: an unassuming single that to Lorenzo Cain, looked like much, much more. The Royals outfielder, sensing an opportunity, went first to third and then streaked all the way home, sliding to beat the ball and a defense that was caught flatfooted. Cain had somehow circled the bases: an astounding, heads up, signature base-running play that stunned the Blue Jays and pushed the Royals to within three outs of a pennant.
In the top of the ninth, KC closer Wade Davis, struggling with his command after a rain delay of 45 minutes, survived a desperate kitchen sink effort by a Toronto team seeking to extend the series. Russell Martin’s lead-off base hit got the Jays started, before pinch runner Dalton Pompey boldly took off twice, stealing second and third base. With the tying run just 90 feet away and nobody out, Kevin Pillar walked and then stole second.
Three stolen bases, and the table was set for Toronto. But that’s when Davis dug deep.
He struck out Dionner Navarro, then Ben Revere. Finally, with the would-be AL MVP at the plate with the season on the line, Josh Donaldson grounded out to third, and the Kansas City Royals were American League pennant winners once more.
Said KC manager Ned Yost after the game:
You know, last year at this time we were so excited to be here. This year, from the very first game of Spring Training, we expected to be here.
And they played like it all season, winning 95 games with a giant chip on their shoulders - making plays in the field, forcing opponents into mistakes, playing a dynamic, athletic and fundamentally sound brand of baseball. Their hole-less batting lineup scored just enough. Their air-tight, game-shortening bullpen, covered for a weaker starting pitching rotation that also had just enough.
It all ties together because of KC’s inherent will to win, a confidence sourced in Yost and his players, one strong enough to override any shortcomings. These Royals win in different ways and are as versatile a group as they come: taking tight pitching duals as they did in Game 6, while boasting an offense capable of outscoring their prolific ALCS opponents by 12 runs.
Suddenly Kansas City have won back-to-back pennants, and that is a funny thing to write when you consider the 28 years of playoff-less malaise that came prior to their rapid ascension into baseball’s elite group.
Now the Royals face the kings from Queens, the New York Mets, a ballclub that also know a thing or two about rapid rises. A lifeless, lackadaisical middling ballclub just three months ago, New York now represent one-half of a compelling post-season match-up, one sure to offer up an eye-catching Fall Classic for both baseball neutrals and fans of both ballclubs.
They’e two teams playing at the top of their very different games, and such contrast leads to some pretty interesting story lines. Thanks to the Mets sweep of the Cubs and the Royals jettisoning of the Jays in six games, there’s plenty of time for baseball talk between now and the first pitch on Tuesday. For now, here’s a few topics to entertain:
1) How will the Mets power pitchers fare against KC’s contact hitters?
The Mets trio of ace-like hurlers, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, ripped through a rookie laden Chicago Cubs lineup, while fourth starter Steven Matz, who will likely start over Bartolo Colon in the World Series, was also serviceable in his lone outing.
The Royals are unlike most MLB teams these days in that they strike out less. In fact, they struck out the least of all 30 teams this season. Can their ability to waste pitches run up pitch counts wear down New York’s revered rotation? Like the Mets, Kansas City also boast a deep lineup: Ben Zobrist, Kendrys Morales, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon all posted OPS’ over .800. Only Morales and Hosmer struck out more than 100 times in 2015, a significant achievement in an era where contact hitters are becoming rarer and rarer.
2) How does the DH affect this World Series?
While several NL lineups over the years haven’t been deep enough to provide a formidable additional hitter, the Mets actually have several legitimate options for the DH slot. Royals DH Kendrys Morales, is a chief power threat for KC - he played nine games at first base this season, but is unlikely to replace Eric Hosmer, a key offensive component. In the last Interleague series the Royals played this season, a two game set in August against Cincinnati, Morales sat both games.
3) How will New York respond to KC’s bullpen?
The pressure put on by the vaunted Royals bullpen can play mind games with a lineup, and as expected, Luke Hochevar, Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Wade Davis were extremely tough on the potent Blue Jays lineup. Yes, Herrera did give up a three-run double to Troy Tulowitzki in Game 5 (no shame in that) and Madson, probably the weakest link in the pen, did give up a game-tying dramatic two-run blast to Jose Bautista in Game 6 (no shame in that either). Mostly, when you’re playing KC, the relief core is so good that opponents are basically playing a six inning game...or less. That means pressure to score early and often. So having said that...
4) Can the Royals starters hold down the Mets offense?
Yordano Ventura allowed just four runs in 10.2 ALDS innings, while Edison Volquez flashed brilliance in Game 1 before being lit up in Game 5 against Toronto. Johnny Cueto was hit hard in his only appearance in Game 3. Can they handle Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Yoenis Cespedes and the rest of a deep Mets lineup? New York jumped all over the Cubs in the NLCS in the first inning, scoring more runs in the opening frame than the Chicago did all series.
5) Can the Royals expose the Mets middle relievers?
Against Chicago, the middle relief group of Jon Neise, Bartolo Colon, Addison Reed and Tyler Clippard gave up just two runs in 6.2 innings pitched, and those runs came courtesy of a garbage-time two run homer off Clippard by Kris Bryant. KC will have to improve on that considering the strength of New York’s starters.
6) How will the layoff effect the players?
Baseball is a game of routine, and while you and I love a day off, at this time of year, it’s best for baseball players, especially hitters, to stay on the field and stay sharp. In 2006, Detroit had six days off between the end of the ALCS and World Series. Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson was on that team, and he posted a .279 OPS against St Louis, while the rest of the team hit a collective .199. The Cardinals, who had played seven brutally tough games against New York, and just had one day off before the World Series, routed Detroit 4-1.
By first pitch, New York will have been idle for five days, Kansas City for three. Will the off days cool Daniel Murphy down from his once-in-a-lifetime playoff power run? Will the extra rest benefit or hurt the likes of Cueto, who will have had at least seven days rest before pitching again? It’s tough to say, that is until we get going with Game 1 starting Tuesday.
