On Deck: Royals at Astros, Games 3-4

On Deck will be here all season to provide you with everything you need to know (and a few things you don't) about every playoff series during the 2015 season. 

The Teams: The Astros got Game 1 in dominant fashion before a rally fell short of giving the Astros a 2-0 series lead against the defending AL champion Royals.

Past 2015 Meetings: The Astros won the regular-season series between the teams 4-2 and they split the first two games of the ALDS series in Kansas City.

Pitching Matchups: Sunday — Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55 ERA) vs. Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48); Monday — TBD vs. Lance McCullers (6-7, 3.22).

What's Hot: Royals DH Kendrys Morales was 3-for-8 in the first two games of the series, but two of those hits left the yard, both in the Astros' Game 1 win. The versatile Ben Zobrist hit .500 (4-for-8) in the first two games. The back end of the Royals' bullpen was throwing fire on Friday, as Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis locked things down for the Royals. In a combined three innings between the two, they've allowed two hits and no runs while striking out four in the first two games of the series.

Colby Rasmus has played in three playoff games, including the AL Wild Card Game, and has three home runs with four RBIs to go with his .500 batting clip. Youngster George Springer is 3-for-7 in this series with three runs and three RBIs thanks to a homer. Dallas Keuchel made his postseason debut against the Yankees in the Wild Card Game and tossed six scoreless innings.

What's Not: Both Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas entered the playoffs hitting the ball well, but so far, not so good for the core members of the Royals' lineup. Hosmer is 1-for-8 in the first two games, and Moustakas is 0-for-6 with one walk.

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Rookie phenom Carlos Correa has twice as many strikeouts as he does hits in the first two games of the series and power-hitting third baseman Luis Valbuena has one hit in the two games with five strikeouts.

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