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 Blue Jays went to Kansas City with their red-hot bats cooking thanks to a comeback from down 0-2 to win the ALDS in five games over Texas. But the Royals' pitching cooled them in a hurry, and now they're down 0-2 once again.
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 Royals are up 2-0 in this series, including a Game 1 from Volquez.
Pitching Matchups: Monday — Johnny Cueto (4-7, 4.76 ERA) vs. Marcus Stroman (4-0, 1.67); Tuesday — Chris Young (11-6, 3.06) vs. R.A. Dickey (11-11, 3.91); *Wednesday — TBD vs. TBD
*if necessary
What's Hot: The Royals haven't won in the postseason because of their offense, and that's shown by the fact light-hitting leadoff man Alcides Escobar is their leading postseason hitter at .321, followed up by Ben Zobrist's .308 average. After that, it's all guys under .300 for the playoffs. The Royals' bullpen has once again been lights out. Wade Davis, Luke Hochevar and Kelvin Herrera have combined to toss 14 1/3 innings in the postseason, and only allow one run (by Herrera).
Edwin Encarnacion has been the Blue Jays' biggest bat of the postseason, as he's hitting .320 with a homer and four RBIs in seven postseason games. Kevin Pillar is hitting .321 in the postseason and has been a human vacuum in center field.
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What's Not: Royals starter Yordano Ventura has allowed nine runs in 12 1/3 innings in the postseason. Last year's postseason heroes for the Royals were Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, and they've combined for 10 hits over their seven postseason games.
David Price is having another horrible postseason followed by a regular season that had him right up at the top of the AL Cy Young mountain along with Dallas Keuchel. Price is sporting a 7.02 ERA in 16 2/3 postseason innings. He's 1-2 with that one win coming in relief against the Rangers in Game 4. Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is batting .138 over his seven postseason games with 10 strikeouts.
