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 postseason series during the 2015 season.
The Teams: The Blue Jays got a monstrous pitching performance from Marco Estrada on Wednesday to extend the ALCS back to Kansas City and avoid elimination on their home turf. Now, the teams head back to Kansas City with the Royals essentially just needing to win one of the remaining two games to return to the World Series after losing to the Giants in seven games a year ago.
Past 2015 Meetings: The Blue Jays went 4-3 against Kansas City in the regular season as the teams had a couple of dust-ups on the way, including one in which Kansas City pitcher Edinson Volquez referred to MVP candidate Josh Donaldson as a "baby." Now, the Blue Jays went 2-1 in the three games north of the border to push their season series lead to 6-4.
Pitching Matchups: Friday — David Price (9-1, 2.30 ERA) vs. Yordano Ventura (13-8, 4.08); *Saturday — Marcus Stroman (4-0, 1.67) vs. TBD
*if necessary
What's Hot: Troy Tulowitzki has woken up from his postseason slumber against the Royals. In fact, in his five games this series, Tulo is batting .368 with a homer and a team-high seven RBIs in this series. That, after, he had just two hits in the ALDS win against the Rangers. AL MVP favorite Josh Donaldson is hitting .333 with a homer and four RBIs in the five games.
Royals light-hitting shortstop Alcides Escobar has been an offensive juggernaut for the Royals in this series, hitting a ridiculous .526 (10-for-19) with a team-high five RBIs in the five games. Ben Zobrist is hitting .318 with a homer and three RBIs. Former Ranger, and former Blue Jay, Alex Rios has had some big hits in this series, as well. Edinson Volquez could make his third start of the series in Game 7 after he was spectacular in Game 1 and not so great in Game 4.
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What's Not: David Price allowed five runs in 6 2/3 innings in his loss earlier in the series, continuing his postseason struggles. But Price was lights out for six innings and change before some defensive miscues saw his wheels fly off. Edwin Encarnacion is batting .211 in his four games in the ALCS.
Mike Moustakas is 3-for-20 in the series, but he does have four RBIs. Eric Hosmer is 5-for-20, not a great average, but he has a team-high five RBIs, tying him with Escobar.
