The Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays will provide us a classic power pitching vs. power hitting matchup in this year's American League Championship Series, but there's also the chance of added fireworks. The teams were on opposing sides of two bench-clearing incidents earlier this summer, and there's always a chance things could heat up again with the heightened emotions of an all-the-marbles playoff series. Who'll keep their cool? Who'll advance? Here's our Blue Jays vs. Royals: Complete ALCS Preview & Prediction.
Pitching Matchups (TOR vs KC)
Game 1: Marco Estrada (13-8) vs. Edinson Volquez (13-9)
Game 2: David Price (18-5) vs. Yordano Ventura (13-8)
Game 3: Marcus Stroman (4-0) vs. Johnny Cueto (11-13)
Game 4: RA Dickey (11-11) vs. Kris Medlen (6-2)
Game 5*: Estrada vs. Volquez
Game 6*: Price vs. Ventura
Game 7*: Stroman vs. Cueto
How Toronto Wins The Series
Score early, score often. The Houston Astros took the Royals to the limit by tagging KC's starters for six of the nine runs scored in their two victories. For Toronto to wrest away home-field advantage in this series, let alone win, they'll need to get to Volquez, Ventura, and Cueto (and Medlen for that matter) in the opening frames. That'll keep Ned Yost from setting his bullpen assignments in stone, forcing him to use Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis in damage control situations rather than in a normal setup/closer configuration.
Toronto's potent 1-9 lineup attack has been the key to their rise all year long. The production of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion (and the rest) early in games will be the decisive factor in whether that rise continues or not.
How Kansas City Wins The Series
String together singles. Give the ball to the bullpen.
Repeat.
Remember how Kansas City saved their season in Game 4 of the ALDS, singling five straight times to open the top of the 8th en route to erasing a 6-2 Houston lead. The offensive attack of the Royals is built primarily on traditional small ball tactics. KC can hit the long ball, but they're not a bludgeoning force like the Blue Jays. The key to a Royals series win is putting together dink-and-dunk rallies, allowing them to shorten the game with their top-tier bullpen. If KC gets into a six innings-then-bullpen groove, it's lights out.
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Prediction: Blue Jays in seven
We're a 51/49 split in favor of the Blue Jays, and that's only because of the emotional groundswell that's accompanied the franchise's first playoff run in 22 years. This series is as evenly matched as we've seen in recent LCS history, but we're giving this one to the Blue Jays thanks to a few well-timed moonshots and a career-defining Game 7 outing by young Marcus Stroman.
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