MLB Playoffs

The ultimate goal of Major League Baseball's postseason is to win the World Series and the Commissioner's Trophy that comes with the title as a tangible representation of being the last team standing.

We're almost at that point, as the American League pennant winners, the long-suffering Kansas City Royals, are set to open the Fall Classic at home against the been-here-done-this San Francisco Giants, who hail from the National League.

The St. Louis Cardinals didn't lose the National League Championship Series because of Mike Matheny. But the manager didn't exactly do the greatest job of preventing his club from losing—or even of putting it in position to beat the World Series-bound San Francisco Giants.

After all of the twists and turns we experience throughout the 2014 MLB playoffs, it's only fitting that two wild-card teams are set to face off in the World Series. SportsCenter is spot on with this tweet:

Both the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals have been playing extremely well in October, but which team has the upper hand in the big dance?

If we've learned anything about Major League Baseball in October, it's to expect the unexpected. After all, neither the Kansas City Royals nor the San Francisco Giants were really considered juggernauts during the regular season, but that's exactly how they played in the postseason.

The MLB postseason is where a player's abilities in the clutch really come to the forefront and when a team's high-priced stars are asked to earn their hefty contracts.

Judging a player's performance in the clutch is certainly not an exact science, but the following two situations are when the pressure is really on:

Exactly two weeks ago, the Kansas City Royals were two outs away from being eliminated from the playoffs. Now, just one game from clinching a spot in the World Series, that number is up to 108.

The Royals remained undefeated in the postseason Tuesday night, topping the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1, and capturing a commanding 3-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

The St. Louis Cardinals lost a heartbreaker Tuesday, as Randy Choate’s throwing error in the 10th inning gave the San Francisco Giants a 5-4 win in Game 3 of the NLCS.

However, Choate’s rough outing with the game on the line didn't define the Cardinals’ Game 3 loss.

Of course a playoff game between the San Francisco Giants, those inexplicable #EvenYear magicians, and St. Louis Cardinals, the late-inning comeback club, would end this way. With a walk-off error on a bunt, that is. Oh, and in extra innings to boot.

FINAL SCORE: Giants def. Cardinals, 5-4 (Giants lead series, 2-1)

The San Francisco Giants watched Kolten Wong walk-off Game 2 of the NLCS in St. Louis.

On Tuesday, the Giants flipped the script on the Cardinals, as they pushed across the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning on a throwing error by reliever Randy Choate.

Those of us who expected to see Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday evening will just have to wait a little longer. Some torrential rains doused Kansas City, forcing a postponement to Tuesday.

Here's a look at what the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals would have been dealing with otherwise, via Sports Illustrated: