The New York Mets are waiting for their World Series opponent.
Wasting no time on drama, the Mets swept the Chicago Cubs in a one-sided National League Championship Series, jumping out to an early 6-0 lead to capture Game 4 on Wednesday night. Now they'll sit back and scout their two possible American League adversaries.
The Toronto Blue Jays again fell 2-0 for the second straight series, but their potent offense has fought back to claim two victories. In order to block the Kansas City Royals from their second consecutive pennant, they'll need to rattle off two more victories on the road.
Where will the Mets travel to start the World Series on Tuesday? Here's a look at the American League Championship Series.
The complete postseason bracket can be viewed on MLB.com.
ALCS: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kansas City Royals
The Royals took a 3-1 series lead over the Blue Jays with a 14-2 thumping on Tuesday night. Series over, right?
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick was one of several writers to cement Kansas City's second straight Fall Classic appearance.
"At the risk of getting overly presumptuous, one question reigns supreme: Will the Royals soil the carpets with Champagne at the Rogers Centre, or wait to make life miserable for the clubhouse attendants at Kauffman Stadium later this week?" Crasnick wrote after Game 5.
Funny thing about momentum: It doesn't exist.
A game after an offensive anomaly, the Royals once again showed why nothing is more unpredictable than postseason baseball. They went from producing more offense than the Kansas City Chiefs to mustering three hits against Marco Estrada.
The Blue Jays, who are really good at hitting baseballs, scored seven runs off a Chris Colabello homer and four doubles. The American League East champions remain alive with David Price and Marcus Stroman pitching on the road, as Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith confirmed:
Needing to win one of two at home, Royals manager Ned Yost still likes his squad's chances. He displayed a calm demeanor in Game 5's postgame press conference, per Fox Sports KC:
Here's some free advice for the skipper: Regardless of the score, use Wade Davis. The best relief pitcher on the team, maybe in all of baseball, has remained a spectator in all but one game. This is a man who has allowed 16 earned runs through 158 innings over the past two years.
Teams would kill for a nearly automatic scoreless frame, especially against Toronto. Yet Yost won't use him unless a save situation arises. This is silly. Stop being silly.
A save opportunity may never appear again. If Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista didn't offer enough offensive firepower (they do), Troy Tulowitzki is catching fire as well. The star shortstop, who recorded a .697 OPS after being traded from the Colorado Rockies, is 7-for-19 with two doubles and a homer this series.
A byproduct of batting behind stars who frequently reach base, he has driven in seven runs this series and 11 during the postseason. His ALCS accolades place him in the team's history books, per the Blue Jays' Twitter page:
When in doubt, pick the best offense to score more runs than the other guys. The Blue Jays have already won four elimination games this postseason, and now they have their aces on the hill.
Prediction: Blue Jays in 7
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