MLB Playoffs

Between now and the start of the 2015 World Series, there's going to be a lot of talk about the layoff, and for good reason.

The New York Mets haven't played since last Wednesday, and extended breaks have not been kind to Fall Classic participants. Five of the last six teams that had five or more days off before the World Series ended up losing, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The World Series matchup is officially set, as the Kansas City Royals pulled out a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night to repeat as American League champions.

They will meet the New York Mets, who took care of the Chicago Cubs in four games and will be playing in the Fall Classic for the first time since 2000.

Here's a stat for Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost to remember during his second straight World Series: 0.85. That's Wade Davis' impeccable ERA this year, making the reliever someone who ought to pitch with the game on the line.

OK, so I turned off Game 6 as soon as Fox TV declared in the seventh inning that the Kansas City Royals had already won.

Nothing happened after that, right?

Hey, good for Fox. We all needed the extra sleep and an early start on figuring out how the unstoppable Royals are going to deal with the unstoppable Daniel Murphy.

On Friday, the Kansas City Royals punched their second consecutive World Series ticket on the strength of closer Wade Davis, who picked up the win with a gutsy, rain-delayed, 1.2-inning performance.

So that's the obvious angle: The Royals win the pennant again thanks to their dominant, shutdown relief corps.

FINAL SCORE: Kansas City Royals win 4-3 over the Toronto Blue Jays

The Kansas City Royals are going back to the World Series after topping the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in Game 6 of the ALCS.

Lorenzo Cain scored the go-ahead run in the eighth, as the center fielder raced all the way home from first on a single.

There was a controversial moment in the second when a fan appeared to interfere with a home run off the bat of Mike Moustakas.

This year's Major League Baseball postseason is winding down, though there is still plenty to be decided. The New York Mets are awaiting the winner of the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kansas City Royals series to determine which franchise will be crowned the American League champion.

The Royals can lock up their spot in the World Series Friday, while the Blue Jays need a win to force a winner-take-all seventh game at Kauffman Stadium Saturday. 

The Toronto Blue Jays will try to push the ALCS to a Game 7 when they are away to the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Toronto pitcher David Price will be looking to silence critics and doubters not long after the scheduled 8:07 p.m. ET start time. 

The formula for a World Series title is simple at this point of the MLB playoffs for the three remaining teams—four more wins for the New York Mets, five more wins for the Kansas City Royals or six more wins for the Toronto Blue Jays.

One win separates the Kansas City Royals from a World Series showdown with the New York Mets, but a stiff Game 6 test awaits the reigning American League champions.