Colby Rasmus and Gomez each belted solo home runs.
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Kansas City has a formidable offense of its own, with Ben Zobrist, Eric Hosmer, Kendrys Morales, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain leading a balanced attack.
San Diego connections: Former Padres RHP Edinson Volquez will start Game 3 for the Royals and former Padres RHP Chris Young will work out of their bullpen. Madson posted a 2.13 ERA in 68 games this season with a 0.96 WHIP.
These teams have never met in the postseason…. In his lone appearance against Houston this year, he pitched seven innings of one-run ball in a July 26 win. Yet there is one especially large offensive gap between the teams that the Royals may use to advantage.
The Royals, who were the young upstart Astros a year ago, now have the recent postseason experience and know what it takes to get to the World Series. “That’s the big change from previous year”.
“Every day you get to spend up here you get the chance to learn the big-league game and just get better”, Grifol said. The Royals were decent on the mound with 3.74 team ERA but were really an offensive team that hit. But they had road woes (bigtime) at 33 and 48. The Astros finished sixth in the MLB in runs scored, led the league in home runs and were second in OPS.
Check here for the Major League Baseball playoffs schedule, standings and wild card recap. This year they all together had 109 stolen bases.
The Yankees have now lost five straight games in the postseason and the Astros earned their first win in the playoffs since back in 2005.
That said, these two teams are also a fascinating study of contrasts.
If the Astros don’t do the unlikely and sweep Kansas City, Keuchel might only be available once – as a starter anyway. More importantly, the Astros recorded the second most number in home runs while the Royals are the second to the last in that aspect. Won the AL Central by 12 games over Minnesota for first division title since taking AL West in 1985…. Or are the Royals just too good? No player hit more than Evan Gattis’ 27 home runs, but four others hit at least 22. By any definition, the Astros are now officially in the playoffs, starting Thursday night in Kansas City to kick off the American League Division Series.
Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost watches baseball batting… As a catcher for seven years, including with the Royals in 2001 and 2002, Hinch experienced plenty of losing. Lowrie and Jake Marisnick added nine apiece. The Astros would seem likely to start the 19-game victor Collin McHugh in the opener, with Keuchel on track for Game 3 in Houston, where he was 15-0 this season.
The teams will play Game 1 at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, October 8.
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“There is very little room for error if you’re going to win a World Series or advance in the playoffs”, Moore said Tuesday, before greeting thousands of fans who showed up for a pep rally.
