Getting Your Phil!: Alcides Escobar

Monday, October 26, 2015

World Series Preview: 1985 vs. 1986

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY: World Series Preview

The Royals last won the World Series in 1985. The Mets' latest championship came the following year. Now the two will meet in the Fall Classic, which begins with Game 1 at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday. The Mets boast a devastating rotation and are coming off a four-game sweep of the Cubs in the National League Championship Series. The Royals, who advanced with a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night, sport a balanced, battle-tested club looking to finish what it started last season. "It was a driving force for all those guys coming into Spring Training, knowing we want to get back in that situation and get that one extra out, that one extra run," said Royals left fielder Alex Gordon, whose team came within 90 feet of a potential World Series title in 2014. "They've been doing it all year, this team, and we still have a long way to go." The Mets announced that they'll go with Matt Harvey for Game 1, with Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz following in that order. The Royals haven't announced their rotation, but they'll likely turn to Edinson Volquez for Game 1, followed by Johnny Cueto in Game 2, Yordano Ventura in Game 3 and Chris Young in Game 4. The Royals have the home-field advantage by virtue of the AL's 6-3 win at the All-Star Game, meaning they'll host Games 1 and 2 and a potential 6 and 7. The two teams have never met in the World Series and haven't faced each other since the 2013 regular season, when the Royals took two of three at Citi Field. "Kansas City, they've got so much confidence that they're going to win," said Mets infielder Kelly Johnson, who was on the Orioles team that got swept by the Royals in last year's ALCS. "They've now done it two years in a row. That lineup is equally tough. They have some power, but they also don't give in. They're going to fight off pitches, make you work and try to just get guys on. And the next man up will try to get the job done." Boosted by a deep October run last fall, the Royals went for it all this year, acquiring Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist midseason and ultimately cruising to their first division title in 30 years. They won the AL Central by 12 games, won an AL-best 95 times, then beat the Astros in five AL Division Series games -- thanks largely to an epic comeback in the eighth inning of Game 4 -- and defeated the Blue Jays in six ALCS games. Now they'll face a Mets staff that threw harder, on average, than all but two teams this season -- with a lineup that made contact more frequently than anybody else. "They're very good," Zobrist said of the Mets. "They throw the ball really hard, they have a great staff all the way around. But we believe that we're capable of hitting anybody. We're going to come ready." The Mets entered the season with high hopes thanks to their young, talented rotation. The Mets were mediocre through the first four months, then acquired Yoenis Cespedes before the non-waiver Trade Deadline and took off, winning 20 of 28 games in August to finish with 90 wins -- 11 more than the prior season -- and run away from the Nats in the NL East. In their first postseason series in nine years, the Mets outlasted the Dodgers in a five-game NLDS, then stormed past the Cubs thanks in large part to Daniel Murphy, who has homered in a record six consecutive postseason games. They'll enter the World Series with five days off, hoping the long layoff does nothing to halt their momentum. "This team is kind of a combination of the 'Miracle Mets' and 'Ya Gotta Believe, '69, '86, 2000,'" said Mets third baseman David Wright, his team back in the World Series for the first time since 20000. "To be able to be mentioned in the same breath as those teams, we're going to go down in Mets history as one of the greatest Mets teams ever assembled. And I'm proud of that."

Three things to know about this game:

Cespedes received a cortisone injection for his sore left shoulder Friday was expected to take batting practice on Sunday. He expects to be ready for Game 1. The long layoff has allowed Cespedes to get some rest, while letting Mets manager Terry Collins align his rotation.
Murphy has the most experience against Volquez and has hit him well, going 6-for-15 with a double and two walks. Wright, meanwhile, is only 2-for-13 lifetime. Alex Rios (1-for-3) is the only Royals player who has faced Harvey, and backup catcher Drew Butera (0-for-3) is the only one who has faced deGrom.
Here's a safe bet for the World Series: At one point or another, Alcides Escobar will probably swing at the first pitch. The Royals' leadoff hitter, fresh off being named the Most Valuable Player of the ALCS, has swung at the game's first pitch in nine of 11 postseason games. That approach, Escobar said, gives him the aggressive mindset that helps him thrive.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series

New York at Kansas City

Game 1: Tuesday, October 27, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

More rumors... no news but interesting reading.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Royals Return To World Series

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

When looking up at the executive box one would think that George Brett was being called out for using too much pine tar as the intensity of the moment was released by the Hall of Famer for the second year in a row. The Royals once again faced a formidable opponent and prevailed as a team to secure their second consecutive trip to the World Series where they will face a team equally young and talented in the Mets. Thanks in large part to the ALCS MVP performance of Alcides Escobar batting nearly .500 in the series out of the leadoff spot and turning in his usual spectacular defense the Royals find themselves in prime position to end their 30 year Championship drought. Maybe this will be a trip back to 1985 after all.

Royals Roast Blue Jays 4-3

Just as the Royals have been saying all season, last year was no fluke. While few prognosticators even picked them to win the American League Central, the Royals advanced to their second straight World Series for the first time in franchise history with a pulsating 4-3 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. Lorenzo Cain scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, scoring all the way from first on Eric Hosmer's single down the right-field line. When right fielder Jose Bautista's throw went to second base, Cain, who was tracked by Statcast™ at 20.694 mph, was sent home by third-base coach Mike Jirschele, and Cain easily beat shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's relay throw home. Cain went from first to home in 10.469 seconds. The Royals move on to face the Mets in Game 1 of the World Series, set for Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium. "This year, from the first day at Spring Training, we expected to be here," Royals manager Ned Yost said on the podium on the field during the postgame presentation of the William Harridge Trophy, for winning the AL. "Our players, they had such a great season, they would never quit, they continued to battle, even when the chips were down a little bit. And it enabled me to put on this new hat here today that has World Series on it, and I'll see you guys on Tuesday." Kansas City struck early on solo homers from Ben Zobrist (first inning) and Mike Moustakas (second), and after Yordano Ventura turned a 2-1 lead over to the bullpen after a solid 5 1/3 innings, Alex Rios made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the seventh. Kelvin Herrera followed Ventura and retired all five batters he faced. But then Ryan Madson gave up a one-out, two-run bomb to Bautista that made it 3-3 in the eighth before Wade Davis came on to get the final two outs of the frame. At that point, rain had begun falling heavily and the game was delayed for 45 minutes. The Royals wasted no time once play resumed, with Cain giving them a lead before an out was recorded. A Blue Jays double play kept it a 4-3 game heading to the ninth, and Davis returned to the mound despite sitting for over an hour. He allowed a leadoff single and a walk, but struck out Dioner Navarro and Ben Revere before Josh Donaldson's groundout with runners on second and third gave Kansas City the AL pennant. "I knew we would, as far as fighting to the end, because that's what we do. That's who these guys are," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "We were sitting in that position, we just couldn't get it done. Wade Davis stepped up, like he's done the last few years." David Price started for Toronto and was solid, throwing 6 2/3 innings and giving up just three runs. "He stepped up tonight, he really did," Gibbons said of Price. "A couple solo home runs early, and he's really as good as we've seen him. He kept us right there, gave us a shot. Jose had a huge night, too."