Blue Jays and Royals renew heated history

Even though the Kansas City Royals finished with the better record during the regular season, the Blue Jays are actually slight favourites in this series.

“I don’t think that’s really the focal point, to be honest with you”, manager John Gibbons said via the Toronto Star. Punish mistakes, spray balls around the big outfield and use team speed to accelerate the offence. It’s also the history the two franchises share. Toronto won the tense Rogers Centre contest 5-2 for a 3-1 sweep of the series.

There was more bad news for the Jays when designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion couldn’t finish the game after reinjuring his hand during an earlier at-bat. The initial report was a strain of the ligament and Encarnacion was listed as day-to-day.

That home run and bat flip was so emphatic that it’s already become a part of baseball lore. After facing left-handers in four of their five games against Texas, the Blue Jays are likely to face mostly right-handers against the Royals. Toronto was upset after Volquez plunked Donaldson and later threw high and inside to the MVP contender.

“There was a lot of energy”, said Volquez, who had been 0-3 with an 8.76 ERA in three career postseason starts. He was doused with a drinks cooler as a post-game reward. “This is really only for the people with bread”, Silverberg said. “I think those are all Jays fans (booking now)”, he said, adding it’s still about $1,000 round-trip because it’s a last-minute flight.

“Hopefully things change to our favor tomorrow”, Toronto catcher Dioner Navararo said.

“I’m sure many Canadians will be watching the baseball game after they’ve had an opportunity to go to the polls”, said Kory Teneycke. Relievers Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Luke Hochevar held the Jays to one hit over three innings.

Price is scheduled to pitch Game 2 against Kansas City on Saturday.

The Royals have now won eight straight wins in the League Championship Series, dating back to 1985.

The game left the Jays, who had just picked up David Price and Tulo Tulowitzki among others at the trade deadline, at 54-52 and triggered an 11-game win streak. Edinson Volquez starts for the Royals and Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays, who are in the postseason for the first time since winning the 1993 World Series. But Volquez was the stingy one on this night.

The entire seventh inning can be viewed below, courtesy of Major League Baseball. “He shut down a good-hitting team, I know that”.

Bautista was left stranded on first. With his second pitch to Donaldson, the No. 2 hitter, Volquez drilled him in the shoulder. “I don’t know what the plan is right now, but we’re going to stick with it”. Kansas City has rallied from four-run deficits in the eighth inning of elimination games each of the past two seasons, including Game 4 in Houston….

After squandering a scoring chance in the first inning, the Royals jumped ahead in the third.

“No, that doesn’t bother me anymore”, Volquez said.

Royals: SS Alcides Escobar (.257, 4, 32), 2B Ben Zobrist (.276, 13, 56 with Athletics and Royals), CF Lorenzo Cain (.307, 16, 72), 1B Eric Hosmer (.297, 18, 93), DH Kendrys Morales (.290, 22, 106), 3B Mike Moustakas (.284, 22, 82), C Salvador Perez (.260, 21, 70), LF Alex Gordon (.271, 13, 48), RF Alex Rios (.255, 4, 32). Both the Jays and Royals are out there with something to prove.