Kansas City, Mo. — Edinson Volquez planned to pitch the Toronto Blue Jays inside in Game 1 of their American League Championship Series, just as he did during their contentious series earlier this season.
Then, after chatting with Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, he changed his mind.
“We know they got a lot of pull hitters over there, and power hitters, and he told me, ‘How you feel pitching down and away?’ And I said, ‘I feel sexy tonight,’ ” Volquez recalled. “And he was like, ‘All right, we’re changing the plan right now.