Athletics Nation - 2015 MLB Postseason: Royals vs. Mets in the World SeriesAn SB Nation blog for Oakland Athletics fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47025/an-fave.png2015-11-01T16:00:02-08:00http://www.athleticsnation.com/rss/stream/94146272015-11-01T16:00:02-08:002015-11-01T16:00:02-08:00World Series Game 5: Royals on the brink of title
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<figcaption>TOOTBLAN | Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>First pitch is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PT, and the game is televised on FOX.</p> <p>Saturday afternoon, Nicodamus was kind enough to write the recap of Game 4 a few hours before the first pitch was even thrown. That's the best way I can describe the Royals right now -- everyone knows exactly how they are going to win, and then they go and do it anyway. They're going to swing early and often, they're going to make contact with whatever pitches you throw, and they're going to run run run and take every extra base they can. By the end of the day, you will have made more mistakes than they have, and that will often end up being the difference.</p>
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<p>In Game 4, Yoenis Cespedes accounted for a couple of the key mistakes by the Mets. He took a bad route on a ball that many CF would have caught, and the ensuing baserunner eventually scored. Later, in the 9th inning, he represented the tying run at second base with one out, but he wandered too far off the bag on a line drive and was doubled off to end the game. We'll talk more about his performance another day, but along with Daniel Murphy's Buckner-esque error in the 8th and the walks by Tyler Clippard that preceded it, the New York made far too many mistakes to have a prayer against Kansas City.</p>
<p>This one could be it. If the Royals win on Sunday, the season will be over. If the Mets win, the series shifts back to KC on Tuesday. The pitching matchup is a rematch of Game 1, Matt Harvey against Edinson Volquez. Both pitchers went 6 innings and allowed 3 runs in the series opener.</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<th align="left">KANSAS CITY ROYALS</th> <th align="left">NEW YORK METS</th>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alcides Escobar - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Curtis Granderson - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Ben Zobrist - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">David Wright - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Lorenzo Cain - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Daniel Murphy - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Eric Hosmer - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Yoenis Cespedes - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Mike Moustakas - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Lucas Duda - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Salvador Perez - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Travis d'Arnaud - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Gordon - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Michael Conforto - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Rios - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Wilmer Flores - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Edinson Volquez - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Matt Harvey - RHP</td>
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https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/11/1/9655772/2015-world-series-game-5-royals-on-the-brink-of-victory-gooooo-metsAlex Hall2015-10-31T16:08:11-07:002015-10-31T16:08:11-07:00Hypocrisy, thy name is Royals
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<p>Game 4 begins at 5:07 p.m. PT, and is televised on FOX.</p> <p>The World Series is officially interesting again. The Mets showed signs of life as they slugged their way to a Game 3 victory to cut their series deficit to 2-1. They have a chance to tie things on Saturday.</p>
<p>But the part of the game that is getting the most attention is the very first pitch. Noah Syndergaard, tired of seeing Alcides Escobar lighting up every first pitch he sees, sent one high-and-tight to the leadoff man to shake things up a bit. Here it is, along with Escobar's reaction:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="224" width="400" src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=527082483&topic_id=63106348&width=400&height=224&property=mlb">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>wait wut</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alex Rios on Noah Syndergaard's first pitch: "I thought it was weak. Very weak. I thought it was unprofessional."</p>
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) <a href="https://twitter.com/McCulloughStar/status/660309564479393792">October 31, 2015</a>
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<p>Royals are you seriously</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hosmer: "any time a guy throws at one of your teammates heads, it's not going to go over very easy. Of course we're going to be angry ...</p>
— Vahe Gregorian (@vgregorian) <a href="https://twitter.com/vgregorian/status/660306637706674176">October 31, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hosmer ctd; "Of course we're going to be upset. But we'll find a way to get back at him."</p>
— Vahe Gregorian (@vgregorian) <a href="https://twitter.com/vgregorian/status/660306883241201664">October 31, 2015</a>
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<p>And to sum up the general response from everyone outside of Kansas City: Hey fellas, are you aware that Kelvin Herrera is on your team?</p>
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<p>Y'know, this Kelvin Herrera:</p>
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<p>Seriously? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Athletics?src=hash">#Athletics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash">#Royals</a> <a href="http://t.co/I9dSqqYLSI">pic.twitter.com/I9dSqqYLSI</a></p>
— Brodie Brazil (@brodiebrazilCSN) <a href="https://twitter.com/brodiebrazilCSN/status/589891876817350656">April 19, 2015</a>
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<img alt="Kelvin Herrera headhunter" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WNFbBmAwp2P-smV1YouVIkPFTTg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3622686/Herrera_head_point_64_colors.0.gif">
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<p>That's from earlier this season, when Herrera threw at the upper body of Brett Lawrie, close enough to be deemed headhunting by MLB's official definition. That's your teammate, Royals, and that's all of you not raising any concerns when he threw in the vicinity of someone's head.</p>
<p>In fact, I got inboxes full of hate mail just for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/4/19/8454339/kelvin-herrera-brett-lawrie-hit-by-pitch-beaned-ejected-athletics-royals">calling Herrera out</a>, with plenty of physical threats toward me. And now suddenly the Royals (and the same fans who ripped me) are calling foul <i>for the exact thing I was complaining about</i>, just because they're on the other side this time. We have a word for that, and it's "hypocrite."</p>
<p>Listen, I'm not going to fully condone what Syndergaard did. If I don't like headhunting as a strategy for retaliation, then I can't well like it as an intimidation tactic. Obviously, in my heavily biased view, these two pitches were not the same thing. Herrera's was thrown out of (inappropriately placed) anger with no purpose but to either hit the batter or get close, so much so that it went <i>behind</i> Lawrie (that's the "I'm not playing baseball anymore, just trying to hurt you" zone). The other was just a high fastball, a bit inside, that the hitter was (justifiably) not expecting. Either one could have ended a career, but at least Noah's was part of a strategy to retire a hitter rather than an attempt at pure physical vengeance. <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb-news/4659813-world-series-2015-mets-royals-noah-syndergaard-alcides-escobar-yankees-red-sox-manny-kelvin-herrera?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=jessespector" target="_blank">Jesse Spector further spells out the differences</a>:</p>
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<p>Furthermore, throwing behind someone is more dangerous than a pitch like the one Syndergaard threw because the natural reaction of a hitter facing 98-100 mph thrown at him is to duck, back up or both. It would have been much easier for Lawrie to get hit and hurt by Herrera's pitch than it would have been for Escobar to be by Syndergaard's.</p>
<p>Finally, there is the difference between what Syndergaard did after his pitch and what Herrera did after his. Syndergaard threw his pitch, stood on the mound and waited to get the ball for his next pitch. Herrera, after getting ejected from a game in which there had already been umpire warnings about pitches directed at hitters, yelled at Lawrie and pointed at his head.</p>
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<p>But those are distinctions I will make partly because I already don't like Kansas City, and that's how the subjective human mind works. Objectively speaking, the point isn't the intention, it's the margin for error. Noah's nearly-100 mph fastball could have missed its spot by a few inches just like Herrera's could have, and then it wouldn't matter much what everyone <i>meant</i> to do. Heck, you certainly can't deny the fact that Noah's pitch was closer to the head than Herrera's was.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Via <a href="https://twitter.com/msimonespn">@msimonespn</a>, here's the pitch sequence to open game from Noah Syndergaard to Alcides Escobar: <a href="https://t.co/nD3cY96TMY">pic.twitter.com/nD3cY96TMY</a></p>
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamRubinESPN/status/660318065410727936">October 31, 2015</a>
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<p>In reality, the Royals and their fans have a right to be pissed ... if you ignore all history leading up to this point. But this is the game that the Royals chose to play this year. I'm not trying to argue that Noah was right or wrong to do what he did. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.royalsreview.com/2015/10/31/9649768/no-noah-syndergaard-did-not-announce-his-presence-with-authority">It's debatable if it even helped</a>, considering the Royals went on to score in each of the first two frames anyway and the New York bats were what really won the game. What I'm trying to say is, "Hey Royals, <i>this is what everyone was talking about in April.</i>" This is what it feels like to have someone pitching around your head.</p>
<p>If you're going to complain about this now, then you have to go back and admit you were wrong in April. I don't care what you thought about Lawrie's mildly improper slide; we've seen what <i>actual</i> dangerous, dirty slides look like recently, and they cost Jung-ho Kang and Ruben Tejada their postseasons with torn ACLs. I don't care what you thought about Scott Kazmir's backfoot slider hitting an opposite-handed batter in the back foot. Back in April, the Royals and a vocal section of their fanbase thought it was okay to throw at a batter's head for <i>reasons</i>, and now they don't like it for <i>different reasons</i>. It's one or the other.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great reaction from MLB Network on what Syndergaard said. <a href="https://t.co/pprCICeLPB">pic.twitter.com/pprCICeLPB</a></p>
— Shannon (@SWelch05) <a href="https://twitter.com/SWelch05/status/660318675464011776">October 31, 2015</a>
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<p><i>(If that tweet gets pulled, <a target="_blank" href="http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/63106348/v527054083/?query=syndergaard">here is a video</a> of Noah's full press conference with the key quote at 3:30, and <a target="_blank" href="http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/63106348/v527060983/ws2015-gm3-syndergaard-on-his-first-pitch-to-escobar/?query=syndergaard">here is a condensed version</a> of the presser.)</i></p>
<p>Again, I don't know that I can fully condone what he says there. I think it's cheeky because I don't like the Royals and because it all turned out alright, but in reality if Noah got suspended for calling his shot (he won't) then I would understand. Noah probably could have achieved his brushback goal while keeping the ball lower.</p>
<p>But once again, we're back to a binary choice. You are either okay with pitchers throwing high and tight, or you're not. You either think Noah was wrong <i>and</i> admit that Herrera was wrong, or you defend your reliever and tip your cap to Noah for good gamesmanship. But after all the crap I had to listen to in defense of Herrera in April, I have no interest in hearing Kansas City cry about the same thing now. The Royals chose to play the role of the fiery tough guys this year, and they need to sleep in the bed they made.</p>
<p>I've never heard such a great team <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2015/10/20/9575141/edinson-volquez-says-johnny-cueto-thinks-blue-jays-were-stealing">whine</a> so much.</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<thead>
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<th align="left">KANSAS CITY ROYALS</th> <th align="left">NEW YORK METS</th>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alcides Escobar - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Curtis Granderson - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Ben Zobrist - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">David Wright - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Lorenzo Cain - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Daniel Murphy - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Eric Hosmer - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Yoenis Cespedes - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Mike Moustakas - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Lucas Duda - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Salvador Perez - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Travis d'Arnaud - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Gordon - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Michael Conforto - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Rios - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Wilmer Flores - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Chris Young - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Steven Matz - LHP</td>
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https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/10/31/9650984/royals-mets-alcides-escobar-noah-syndergaard-headhuntingAlex Hall2015-10-31T14:57:39-07:002015-10-31T14:57:39-07:00Royal Pains In So Many Ways
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<figcaption>Oopsies. | Mike Stobe/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It was a dark and stormy night, mostly because stories never begin with "It was a fairly well lit and partly cloudy mid-afternoon..." Suddenly, a cry rang out. <i>"Waaaaaaah!!!!!!!!! You can't throw pitches near us!!!! We do that!!!! You don't do that!!!!! That was scary and I didn't like it!!!! Waaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!"</i> Oh, Alcides. That kettle sure is the darkest shade of black I've seen yet.</p>
<p>OK, so the <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Royals</a>' attitude, personality, and concept of manlihood clearly need some work. You don't want to see your team emulate the Royals, unless you aren't familiar with the word "emulate" and think it means "tie them up, cover them with snakes, and take your lunch break".</p>
<p>The question is whether the Royals' offensive approach has some elements worth cultivating. Now before you beat me to the punch, I think we can all agree that good hitters are simply better than bad hitters. There are good patient hitters and there <strike>is <span>Daric Barton</span></strike> are bad ones, good aggressive sluggers and bad ones, fast guys who run the bases well and fast guys who...don't.</p>
<p>Certainly buoyed by talented batters and swift runners, the Royals' approach to offense, it seems to me, centers a lot around three philosophies that have worked well for them both in the regular season and especially in the post-season. Are they teachable skills, or just skills some guys have that you can covet or not as you wish? That is going to be the question today.</p>
<p>The first one is that the Royals hitters go up looking to swing at every good pitch to hit. Be it on the first pitch, pitch counts be damned, or on a 3-0 pitch, OBP be darned, if you throw a really good pitch to hit to a Royals' batter, they are probably going to "grip it and rip it" whether they are sluggers or leadoff hitters.</p>
<p>Even Ben Zobrist, noted for his patience, plate discipline, good eye and long at bats, has repeatedly ambushed a very hittable first pitch for a key hit -- and then around that has also had a truckload of long at bats.</p>
<p>The second notable characteristic up and down the Kansas City lineup is that the Royals hitters foul off a ton of pitches and are extremely hard to strike out. Pitchers who miss bats like I miss <span>Josh Donaldson</span> (too soon?) have been unable to put away KC batters. As a result, many of the Royals' at bats end on one pitch or on ten pitches, often with not much in between.</p>
<p>I don't know if the Royals' seemingly constant luck on batted balls in play <i>("There's a broken bat bloop just over David Wright's head landing on the line...three inches fair!!!!")</i> is a real thing or whether perhaps it's a product of the fact that they just put so many balls in play. But the Royals make a lot of contact, fair and foul.</p>
<p>The third piece to the Royals' recipe is their uncanny ability to go 1B to 3B on base hits. It is reminiscent of Mike Scioscia's <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> teams of the early-to-mid 2000s and what has become really apparent this post-season is how much going 1B to 3B can impact a game.</p>
<p>1B and 2B with one out is a strong budding rally, but 1B and 3B with one out changes the dynamic entirely. And with the Royals it's not just <span>Jarrod Dyson</span> and Alcides Escobar who are doing it, it's <span>Eric Hosmer</span> and <span>Mike Moustakas</span>, often on well hit balls you would not expect to allow an average runner to get all the way to 3B.</p>
<p>As I was watching this, I invented a metric that I will share with you: "base-running slugging". You know how slugging percentage measures how many bases the hits garner? Essentially, how often a single has an "ISO" of .100 is another way to look, be it individually or as a team, at suggesting that not all singles are equal.</p>
<p>And yes, against the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Blue Jays</a> <span>Lorenzo Cain</span> had a base-running slugging percentage of 3.000 on that decisive single that scored him from 1B.</p>
<p>Put these three ingredients together -- ambush every hittable pitch on any count, foul off a ton of pitches and rarely swing and miss, and take extra bases like it's going out of style -- and you have the recipe for an awful lot of success. The question is...how many of these skills can be taught to the players you have and how many of them can only be enjoyed by going and seeking out those players who already possess these skills? Is Dale Sveum doing something right as a hitting coach or is he simply blessed with the right batters?</p>
<p>Discuss. And then throw at <span>Alcides Escobar's</span> chin because it's fun.</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/10/31/9651752/royal-pains-in-so-many-waysNico2015-10-30T16:48:44-07:002015-10-30T16:48:44-07:00World Series Game 3: Just get it over with already
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<img alt="I can't hate Salvador Perez, though. That dude is legit." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4yYBHuqCP5e2eUYVvsRCj0mdVKM=/0x202:1307x1073/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47555607/usa-today-8889296.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>I can't hate Salvador Perez, though. That dude is legit. | Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>First pitch is 5:07 p.m. PT, and the game is televised on FOX.</p> <p>Ugh. The Royals are gonna win the World Series. I know it, you know it, everybody knows it. We're halfway there already and the rest feels like a formality at this point.</p>
<p>That's not <i>entirely</i> fair to the Mets, who now get three home games to prove themselves and get back into the series. But, with all due respect, I'll believe it when I see it. I've just watched this Kansas City team shred through every opponent other than Madison Bumgarner over the last year-plus. No matter how much you think you've got a win sealed up, you don't, because they will come back and find a way to beat you. The game could be over for half an hour and they'd score a pair of runs in the press conference to steal the victory. And on the flipside, you will never come back against their bullpen, to an extent of perfection I've only seen in the late-90s Yankees dynasty.</p>
<p>It's bad enough that the Royals are going to win. At least they truly deserve a ring. But do I really have to look at Eric Hosmer's stupid face for two more games?</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Eric Hosmer once starred in Toy Story <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eyebrows?src=hash">#eyebrows</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals">@Royals</a> <a href="https://t.co/App2cm6OqE">pic.twitter.com/App2cm6OqE</a></p>
— Derek Timgren (@DerekTimgren) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekTimgren/status/656274824411545600">October 20, 2015</a>
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<p>But hey, at least it's still live baseball. There won't be any more of that a week from now. May as well enjoy it while we can!</p>
<p>In other news, the Warriors are playing tonight. <a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2015/10/30/9642020/preview-rockets-vs-warriors-the-championship-road-trip-begins" target="_blank">Here's a Game Preview from Golden State Of Mind.</a></p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
<div class="lineup">
<table class="zebra" cellspacing="0">
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="left">KANSAS CITY ROYALS</th> <th align="left">NEW YORK METS</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Alcides Escobar - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Curtis Granderson - RF</td>
</tr>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Ben Zobrist - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">David Wright - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Lorenzo Cain - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Daniel Murphy - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Eric Hosmer - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Yoenis Cespedes - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Mike Moustakas - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Lucas Duda - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Salvador Perez - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Travis d'Arnaud - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Gordon - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Michael Conforto - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Alex Rios - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Wilmer Flores - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Yordano Ventura - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Noah Syndergaard - RHP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/10/30/9648836/2015-world-series-game-3-ugh-royals-get-it-together-metsAlex Hall2015-10-28T16:57:32-07:002015-10-28T16:57:32-07:00World Series Game 2: Can the Royals be stopped?
<figure>
<img alt="This is the single grossest photo I've ever seen. Eww." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qGAUjw0teaBzz-Bxa8hA30OJ-18=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47540499/GettyImages-494627686.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>This is the single grossest photo I've ever seen. Eww. | Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Royals did it again. Just when you thought they'd finally made a mistake, just when the vaunted defense and bullpen looked like they'd cracked, just as the Mets were two outs away from taking the first game of the World Series, Kansas City came storming back.</p>
<p>In the 8th, an error by Gold Glover Eric Hosmer led to an unearned run off of Kelvin Herrera, giving New York a 4-3 lead. Jeurys Familia entered in the 9th, bringing with him a season record of 48 saves and one hold in 54 save situations (including playoffs) for a 90.7% success rate; his last blown save had come on July 30. But with one out, Alex Gordon homered to tie the game, because of course he did. The Royals, regularly praised for manufacturing runs using long, cooperative rallies, instead got a long ball right when they needed it from a guy with a career .435 slugging percentage. When you combine a ton of talent with just the most uncannily amazing timing imaginable, this is what happens.</p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3603867/mustreads-compact-only.css" rel="stylesheet">
</p>
<p>Then things dragged on in that Royals kind of way, where you already know KC is going to win and just wish they'd get it over with already. By the time we reached the 14th, each team put up one good threat in extra innings and we'd moved on to a new pitching matchup of Chris Young against Bartolo Colon. The Mets went down in order, but in the bottom of the frame David Wright made an error on a routine grounder to lead things off and that was enough to open the floodgates. Soon the bases were loaded with nobody out, and Hosmer lifted a sac fly to end it.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Doing that <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals">@Royals</a> thing and winning any way possible. <a href="https://t.co/nBDKW706y6">https://t.co/nBDKW706y6</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldSeries?src=hash">#WorldSeries</a> <a href="https://t.co/3G21LCTQXe">pic.twitter.com/3G21LCTQXe</a></p>
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBGIFs/status/659243688187396096">October 28, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p>Just like that, Hosmer went from potentially being the goat of Game 1 to arguably being the hero (it was his second sac fly of the game in a one-run win). And so go the Royals.</p>
<h3>Game 2 (Royals lead series, 1-0)</h3>
<p><b>Time:</b> 5:07 p.m. PT<br><b>TV:</b> FOX<br><b>Location:</b> Kauffman Stadium, KC</p>
<p><b>Starters: Johnny Cueto vs. Jacob deGrom</b></p>
<p>In Cueto's last start, he gave up 8 runs to the Blue Jays, and he's only really been <i>good</i> once in three tries this postseason. Meanwhile, deGrom has been excellent in all three of his playoff starts. The pitching matchup would seem to favor the Mets. But no pitcher seems to be immune to KC's hyper-aggressive, nickel-and-dime offensive attack, and even if you beat their starter the pressure is still on you to hold your lead so that you don't need to score more off of their ridiculous bullpen.</p>
<p>Can the Mets stop the Royals, or will they head back to New York with an 0-2 deficit?</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
<div class="lineup">
<table cellspacing="0" class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="left">NEW YORK METS</th> <th align="left">KANSAS CITY ROYALS</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Curtis Granderson - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alcides Escobar - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">David Wright - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Ben Zobrist - 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Daniel Murphy - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Lorenzo Cain - CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Yoenis Cespedes - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Eric Hosmer - 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Lucas Duda - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Kendrys Morales - DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Travis d'Arnaud - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Mike Moustakas - 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Michael Conforto - DH</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Salvador Perez - C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Wilmer Flores - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alex Gordon - LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Juan Lagares - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alex Rios - RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name"></td>
<td class="td-first td-name"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Jacob deGrom - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Johnny Cueto - RHP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/10/28/9632684/2015-word-series-game-2-can-the-royals-be-stopped-cmon-metsAlex Hall2015-10-27T15:07:27-07:002015-10-27T15:07:27-07:00World Series Game 1: Cespedes on the biggest stage
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7IG5iiQchZB697Ni86BkeHh7-y0=/0x83:4170x2863/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47530351/usa-today-8873185.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>First pitch is 5:07 p.m. PT, and the game is televised on FOX.</p> <p>Yoenis Cespedes is in the World Series, and that is fantastic news for baseball. Oakland A's fans have known for years that, regardless of what his numbers look like in any given year, Cespedes is one of the most <i>exciting</i> players in the game. He is capable of physical feats that make your jaw drop, on both sides of the ball, and every time he enters the frame, whether holding a bat or a glove, it is must-watch TV. Furthermore, he has long been considered a player who rises to the occasion in the biggest moments under the brightest lights.</p>
<p>Well, we're now looking at Cespedes' best-case scenario. He finally turned his raw talents into legitimately great production, no matter what kind of stats you prefer: in traditional terms, he surpassed the classic 30/100/100 line (HR/RBI/R), and using the newer metrics he ranked 7th in fWAR and 11th in bWAR among all MLB position players. Furthermore, the moment doesn't get more glamorous than representing a New York club in the World Series. This is peak Cespedes on the biggest possible stage.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">2015 MLB WAR leaders</h5>
<span>
<table style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>#</b></td>
<td><b>bWAR</b></td>
<td><b>fWAR</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Harper (9.9)</td>
<td>Harper (9.5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Trout (9.4)</td>
<td>Trout (9.0)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Donaldson (8.8)</td>
<td>Donaldson (8.7)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Goldschmidt (8.8)</td>
<td>Goldschmidt (7.4)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Votto (7.6)</td>
<td>Votto (7.4)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Pollock (7.4)</td>
<td>Machado (6.8)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Kiermaier (7.4)</td>
<td><b>Cespedes (6.7)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Cain (7.2)</td>
<td>Pollock (6.6)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Machado (7.1)</td>
<td>Cain (6.6)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Heyward (6.5)</td>
<td>Bryant (6.5)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td><b>Cespedes (6.3)</b></td>
<td>Heyward (6.0)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</span>
</div>
<p>Of course, it's important to remember that he's still just one player. He had two chances to help the A's beat Detroit in October, and both times he was merely good, not great, with one home run in 10 total ALDS games (43 plate appearances). He didn't magically transform a tanking Red Sox team with his presence last summer, and there is nothing you can say to convince me that he would have made a difference in that 2014 Wild Card Game -- the A's could have scored 20 runs and I know that the Royals would have found a way to scratch across their 21st against Oakland's porous bullpen and defense. Cespedes, even at his best, couldn't save the 2015 Tigers, who struggled with health and consistency just like the A's have since August of '14. Heck, even in the crucial win-or-go-home NLDS Game 5 against the Dodgers, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts while Daniel Murphy stepped up to carry the team to the next round.</p>
<p>I'd love to say that New York is here <i>because</i> they acquired La Potencia, but that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the team. He is obviously a large piece of the puzzle, but it's not like the rest of the lineup is chopped liver. Here are the OPS+ marks of tonight's starters:</p>
<p>1. Granderson (129)<br>2. Wright (128)<br>3. Murphy (113)<br>4. Cespedes (157 NL, 137 overall)<br>5. Duda (132)<br>6. d'Arnaud (128)<br>7. Conforto (132)<br>8. Flores (95)<br>9. Johnson (99 Mets, 108 overall)</p>
<p>Cespedes is the star of that group, but only barely. This is not a stars-and-scrubs lineup; it is <i>stacked</i>, with the "weakness" being a pair of middle infielders who combined to hit 30 homers this year. The next-worst batter after those two is Murphy, who happens to be the single hottest hitter in these playoffs (7 HR in nine games, 1.462 OPS). And this is a team whose real strength is its rotation, four-deep with young budding aces.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Yo's 17 home runs in 57 NL games seem legendary, but remember that over half of them came just against the embarrassing pitching staffs of the Rockies and Phillies, with most of <i>those</i> coming in the extreme bandboxes of Coors Field and Citizens Bank Park. (Again, I cannot stress how second-rate the NL was this year, especially in the final months when half of the league had completely given up. The AL-worst A's are picking 6th in the next draft.)</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Mets 2015 postseason leaders</h5>
<span>
<table style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>#</b></td>
<td><b>OPS</b></td>
<td><b>HR</b></td>
<td><b>Ks</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Murphy (1.462)</td>
<td>Murphy (7)</td>
<td>Duda (13)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Lagares (.967)</td>
<td>d'Arnaud (3)</td>
<td>d'Arnaud (13)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Flores (.829)</td>
<td><b>Cespedes (2)</b></td>
<td>Wright (12)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td><b>Cespedes (.756)</b></td>
<td>Duda (1)</td>
<td><b>Cespedes (11)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Granderson (.748)</td>
<td>Conforto (1)</td>
<td>2 tied w/ 6</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</span>
</div>
<p>My point of this is not to rip on Cespedes, but rather to put him in the proper perspective. I've had to listen for the last year all about how the A's lost <i>because</i> Cespedes was gone, so I periodically get my turn to fire back. He was a good player and now he's a great one, but he didn't carry the Mets to the playoffs on his own and he sure as hell hasn't carried them to the World Series. Heck, when they needed him in NLDS Game 5, he disappeared just like stars always do in Oakland, and the team only succeeded in spite of him that day.</p>
<p>In New York he has simply been what he was in Oakland, one excellent player on a larger team, doing everything he can but relying on the other eight hitters and the starters and the relievers to do their parts as well. That's how baseball works, and it's different than basketball (or, to a lesser extent, football), where one player can truly take over the game by having a hand in virtually every play. His Mets teammates came through in ways his A's teammates never did, and that's the main difference.</p>
<p>But holy crap, I hope he wins this one, and I'll be cheering for him the whole way. He wasn't enough for Oakland in '12 or '13, and he wouldn't have been enough to save us in '14 or '15, but he has a chance to come through this week by taking the crown before the obnoxious Royals can claim it, no matter how much the team in Kansas City probably deserves to win.</p>
<p>Let's go Yo!</p>
<p>(Also, congrats to 42-year-old Bartolo Colon on making it to his first World Series!!)</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
<div class="lineup">
<table class="zebra" cellspacing="0">
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="left">NEW YORK METS</th> <th align="left">KANSAS CITY ROYALS</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Curtis Granderson - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alcides Escobar - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">David Wright - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Ben Zobrist - 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Daniel Murphy - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Lorenzo Cain - CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Yoenis Cespedes - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Eric Hosmer - 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Lucas Duda - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Kendrys Morales - DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Travis d'Arnaud - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Mike Moustakas - 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Michael Conforto - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Salvador Perez - C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Wilmer Flores - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alex Gordon - LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Kelly Johnson - DH</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alex Rios - RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name"></td>
<td class="td-first td-name"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Matt Harvey - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Edinson Volquez - RHP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/10/27/9622830/2015-world-series-game-1-royals-mets-yoenis-cespedesAlex Hall2015-10-23T16:07:54-07:002015-10-23T16:07:54-07:00ALCS Game 6: Can David Price save the Blue Jays?
<figure>
<img alt="Duck!" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/59MsAWPMQNI_ENPK5inMXOQkWrA=/0x65:3258x2237/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47506883/usa-today-8848931.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Duck! | Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The game starts at 5:07 p.m. PT and is televised on Fox Sports 1.</p> <p>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.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">David Price playoff starts</h5>
<table style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Year</td>
<td>Series</td>
<td>IP</td>
<td>R</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2010</td>
<td>ALDS</td>
<td>6.2</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2010</td>
<td>ALDS</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2011</td>
<td>ALDS</td>
<td>6.2</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2013</td>
<td>ALDS</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2014</td>
<td>ALDS</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2015</td>
<td>ALDS</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2015</td>
<td>ALCS</td>
<td>6.2</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<i>Note: Price has also pitched in six postseason games as a reliever, including once in 2015.</i>
</div>
<p>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 <i>really</i> 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 <i>every single postseason start he's ever made</i> 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 <i>barely</i> 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
<div class="lineup">
<table cellspacing="0" class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="left">TORONTO BLUE JAYS</th> <th align="left">KANSAS CITY ROYALS</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Ben Revere - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alcides Escobar - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Josh Donaldson - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Ben Zobrist - 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Jose Bautista - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Lorenzo Cain - CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Edwin Encarnacion - DH</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Eric Hosmer - 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Chris Colabello - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Kendrys Morales - DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Troy Tulowitzki - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Mike Moustakas - 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Russell Martin - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Salvador Perez - C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Kevin Pillar - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alex Gordon - LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Ryan Goins - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Alex Rios - RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name"></td>
<td class="td-first td-name"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">David Price - LHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Yordano Ventura - RHP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/10/23/9605506/2015-alcs-game-6-david-price-blue-jays-royalsAlex Hall2015-10-21T12:59:13-07:002015-10-21T12:59:13-07:00ALCS Game 5, NLCS Game 4: Royals/Jays, Mets/Cubs
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TQ3AWntSK-qsziOJ7lVzvvQD9o8=/0x50:4074x2766/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47485785/usa-today-8872737.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Two teams are on the brink today in the League Championship Series.</p>
<h4>ALCS Game 5: <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas City Royals</a> (3) at <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Blue Jays</a> (1)</h4>
<p>The Blue Jays will have to win three games in a row once again to stay alive in the 2015 postseason. The Kansas City Royals hope to win back-to-back American League pennants today.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
<div class="lineup">
<table cellspacing="0" class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="left">KANSAS CITY ROYALS</th> <th align="left">TORONTO BLUE JAYS</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Alcides Escobar</span> - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Ben Revere</span> - LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Ben Zobrist</span> - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Josh Donaldson</span> - 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Lorenzo Cain</span> - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Jose Bautista</span> - RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Eric Hosmer</span> - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Edwin Encarnacion</span> - DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Kendrys Morales</span> - DH</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Chris Colabello</span> - 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Mike Moustakas</span> - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Troy Tulowitzki</span> - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Salvador Perez</span> - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Dioner Navarro</span> - C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Alex Gordon</span> - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Kevin Pillar</span> - CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Alex Rios</span> - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Ryan Goins</span> - 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name"></td>
<td class="td-first td-name"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Edinson Volquez</span> - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Marco Estrada</span> - RHP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h4>NLCS Game 4: <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Mets</a> (3) at <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Cubs</a> (0)</h4>
<p>It's Back to the Future Day, but things are looking grim for the Cubs. Only one team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-playoffs" class="sbn-auto-link">MLB postseason</a> series. The 2004 <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Red Sox</a> also defeated a New York club and also went on to end a historic championship drought.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
<div class="lineup">
<table cellspacing="0" class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="left">NEW YORK METS</th> <th align="left">CHICAGO CUBS</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Curtis Granderson - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Dexter Fowler</span> - CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">David Wright - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Jorge Soler</span> - RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Daniel Murphy - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Kris Bryant</span> - 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Anthony Rizzo</span> - 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Lucas Duda - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Starlin Castro</span> - 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Travis d'Arnaud - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Kyle Schwarber</span> - LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Michael Conforto - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Javier Baez</span> - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Wilmer Flores - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>Jason Hammel</span> - RHP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Steven Matz - LHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span>David Ross</span> - C</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/10/21/9586876/alcs-game-5-nlcs-game-4-royals-at-blue-jays-mets-at-cubsJeremy F. Koo