ALCS Game 6: Can David Price save the Blue Jays?

With the Mets already set to rep the NL in the World Series, the ALCS returns to Kansas City for Game 6 between the Royals and Blue Jays. On one hand, the Royals just seem unstoppable. On the other hand, the Jays still have David Price and Marcus Stroman slated to pitch in Games 6 and (potentially) 7. It ain't over till it's over.

Price is still looking for that signature postseason performance, though. He's made starts in five of the last six postseasons, seven starts in total, and he's only really been good once -- in 2014, with the Tigers, he went 8 innings and allowed 2 runs and lost the game 2-1. That was his best postseason start ever, and also his best result ever, because he has lost every single postseason start he's ever made and most of them were by more than that one-run margin. A good outing in a one-run loss is the best he's ever done. Twice more he was "quality," but it was the type of quality with quotation marks around it because he went 6ish innings with three runs and barely met the standards of a QS. He wasn't Price Quality in those games. He wasn't an Ace. And also he lost, all of them, good or bad, including both that he's made with these Blue Jays. His only career postseason wins have come in relief, as did his postseason save in 2008, obviously.

So that's David Price. He's really good! Usually. He's never been good in October before, so we'll see if he can start doing that today for some reason.

The Royals are starting Yordano Ventura. You might remember Ventura as that guy who is currently fighting with a player on your team, regardless of what team you root for. He only hit nine batters with pitches this year, but at least a few of them were intentional. He's young and talented and hard-throwing but also inconsistent, capable of striking out some hitters or getting a bit wild or even doing both at once. He could throw a gem in this one or be gone by the 3rd. Note that he has won more postseason starts in his career (1) than Price has (0), and that the Royals have won six of his seven playoff starts. Ventura only has to be good enough for the pesky hitters and dominant bullpen to carry things the rest of the way.

For the Jays, Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki are mashing in this series, and Ryan Goins is chipping in at the plate as well. Jose Bautista has nearly as many walks (7) as the entire Royals team (10). For Kansas City, Alcides Escobar is doing his impression of 2012 Scutaro by going 10-for-19, while everybody else just keeps on punching hits all over the place with unbelievable day-to-day consistency; on top of that, they've out-homered the Jays as well (5-4). It took until Game 5 for Toronto to make it through a whole contest without allowing a single crooked number. These piranhas are extra bitey.

You should root for the Blue Jays. You were probably already doing so. If you weren't, then root for Toronto simply so that you're rooting for a Game 7 to happen.