Salvador Perez is batting seventh. “I don’t know what the plan is right now, but we’re going to stick with it”.
Indeed, few outside the most devoted Generation X baseball fans recall that the Royals and Blue Jays once met in a memorable seven-game American League Championship Series in 1985. That series gave Kansas City a pennant and, nearly two weeks later, the Royals’ only World Series title.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Thursday that the rotation will let all starters get the rest they need before taking the mound. “His ball was ducking and darting everywhere”.
Volquez threw six scoreless innings, giving up just two hits while walking four and fanning five. His only jam came when he walked the first two batters in the sixth, but he recovered to strike out Troy Tulowitzki and end the threat. Perhaps the Royals have learned from the past and will keep their cool in the playoffs. “I don’t know. I was just making my pitches”.
Berry steps in for rookie shortstop Addison Russell, who strained his left hamstring during Game 3 of the NL Division Series against St. Louis.
It isn’t only this postseason, or even the regular season, that makes this ALCS matchup so intriguing. The first report described a ligament strain, and Encarnacion was listed as day-to-day. “It’s never happened in my life before”, he said. The Blue Jays need Price to look like his regular-season self in Game 2, or they could face a daunting 2-0 series hole. The formula for beating the Blue Jays was on display Friday night: throw plenty of fastballs, but locate them well or you’re in for a long night.
That series carried plenty of emotion as well.
Yost shifted Escobar back to the leadoff spot late in the season, and the Royals won their final five games to clinch the best record in the American League and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Price was among several players the Blue Jays acquired at the July 31 trade deadline.
Edison Volquez plunked Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson in the shoulder to open the August 2nd game. “He was crying like a baby”. Not surprisingly, Donaldson drew loud boos from the Kansas City crowd on Friday night.
The Royals struck first with two runs in the third. Kansas City’s Ryan Madson later hit Tulowitzki, while Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez hit Alcides Escobar, clearing both bullpens and getting Sanchez ejected. It was the third home run of the postseason for the star catcher.
As shaky as Estrada was, Volquez was utterly stoic as he circled the mound.
“These are the two best in the AL playing for the AL championship, ” said Toronto’s Chris Colabello.
Bautista’s reaction didn’t sit well with the Rangers, who essentially labeled it bush league, and the whole episode sparked a widespread debate about decorum. But now that we’ve come out the other side, there are a few important lessons to take from how our beloved Jays carried themselves during the turbulent showdown against the Texas Rangers.
Jose Bautista struck out looking in the fourth inning, and Encarnacion did the same in the sixth. Donaldson eventually walked, flipped his bat as he left the box, which irked Volquez.
“It is extremely important to win the opener”, Hosmer said.
As the Yankees scan the free agent market, Zobrist will surely stand out as one of the options that best fits their roster.
