All the Kansas City Royals needed was a win Monday night, and the series would have been all but over. A pair of strong performances on offense and, surprisingly enough, defense had the Royals up 2-0 in the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a chance to move that much closer to a spot in the World Series.
But the Blue Jays were never going to make things easy for the Royals, and a huge third inning powered the team right back into the series with an 11-8 win. With the series at 2-1—instead of 3-0—the pressure for Game 4 takes on a different look for both teams.
Instead of Toronto needing a win just to keep its season alive, the Blue Jays can even up the series at 2-2 with another home victory. For Kansas City, slowing the momentum Toronto built Monday will be crucial and could go a long way toward deciding the series.
Game 4 Details
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 20
Time: 4:07 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1, Sportsnet
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Game 4 Storylines
Can the Royals weather the storm in Toronto?
Kansas City could not have started the series any better than it did. Winning Games 1 and 2 with relative ease and holding the Blue Jays to a combined three runs, the Royals looked as though they had solved Toronto’s unstoppable offense.
But while the series started well, Game 3 was the worst-case scenario for the Royals. Not only did Toronto rediscover its hitting mojo, but it also did so with aplomb, scoring nine combined runs in the second and third innings to coast to an easy win.
With the series at 2-1, Kansas City has gone from a heavy favorite to hanging on for dear life, while Toronto looks to be back at its power-hitting best.
Perhaps the worst news for the Royals in the devastating defeat was the fact that ace Johnny Cueto was on the receiving end of the early shellacking. Acquired at the trade deadline, the former Cincinnati Reds star hasn’t been the most consistent player in the majors throughout his career, but Kansas City expected him to give the team a boost in the postseason.
Another pair of games in Toronto could be a proving ground for the Royals. Kansas City could still win out, with Chris Young and Edinson Volquez set to take the mound this week, but for now, the goal should be taking at least one game on the road to make things more comfortable when the series shifts back to Kansas City.
Toronto’s bats come alive
The Blue Jays earned their playoff spot on the strength of their bats and a passable pitching game. Averaging 5.5 runs per game in the regular season, Toronto was the best offensive team in baseball heading into the postseason.
You wouldn’t have been able to tell, however, based on the first two games of the ALCS, with the Blue Jays failing to score in Game 1 and putting only three runs on the board in Game 2.
Game 3 was a return to the norm for the Blue Jays—and then some. An 11-run outing, six of which came in the third inning, was a welcome sight for Toronto fans. Josh Donaldson was at his best, and the Blue Jays looked like the team many had pegged for the World Series title a few weeks ago.
There are still some serious defensive issues for Toronto, whose pitchers have been brutal so far in the series. The Royals are averaging more than seven runs per game, but after watching some of the best hitters in baseball return to form, it is hard to fault anything the Blue Jays did in Game 3.
It's also hard to count on double-digit runs in each and every outing—even with the bats Toronto brings to the plate—but Monday was a showcase of what the Blue Jays are capable of doing on any given night.
Monday night may have been the turning point in the series and the playoffs as a whole.
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