The 2015 MLB playoffs will continue tonight at 8:07 p.m. ET when the Kansas City Royals host the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the ALCS. It's a rematch of the 1985 ALCS and these two clubs have some unfinished business to take care of.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the MLB live stream and radio broadcast for tonight's game. Also, click here for our "Five Things You Need to Know About the ALCS."
Toronto will send Marco Estrada (13-8, 3.13 ERA) to the mound to face Royals veteran Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55 ERA). Each right-hander has made a start in this year's postseason, with Estrada earning a victory in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers and Volquez getting a loss in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Houston Astros.
Estrada allowed one earned run on five hits over 6 1/3 innings while Volquez surrendered three earned on five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. This will be Estrada's second postseason start on the road in 2015 and Volquez will get his first at home.
They'll both be tasked with a tough assignment as the Blue Jays and Royals are the top two offensive teams in the postseason. Toronto is batting .228/.294/.418 with 26 runs scored, 8 home runs and 24 RBIs as a team and Kansas City is hitting .244/.321/.445 with 25 runs scored, 8 home runs and 23 RBIs.
They're also both coming off colossal ALDS Game 5 wins. The Royals and Blue Jays both forced the elimination game with crucial road wins in Game 4 and then powered their way in Game 5 to advance to the ALCS. Kendrys Morales batted .263/.300/.737 with three runs scored, three home runs and six RBIs against the Astros and Jose Bautista slashed .273/.304/.636 with three runs scored, two home runs and five RBIs against the Rangers.
The Royals have scored 16 runs in their past two games and the Blue Jays have scored 14.
Additionally, both of these bullpens have been put to work against two of the MLB's better offensive clubs in the ALDS, and that won't change in this series. The Blue Jays finished the regular season ranked first in runs scored and the Royals were 10th. The Royals' veteran relievers had some trouble against the Astros, but in the end their experience proved to be superior. On the other hand, Blue Jays' rookies Roberto Osuna and Aaron Sanchez have yet to give up an earned run in 11 innings combined.
But the most interesting aspect about this Game 1 matchup is the tension that has yet to be resolved from their last meeting in August. Volquez hit Josh Donaldson in the first inning of that game and continued to pitch inside to the AL MVP candidate in later at-bats. The Royals' bullpen followed suit by throwing more chin music to Donaldson and hitting Troy Tulowitzki.
The benches cleared after Sanchez hit Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar in the eighth inning, and Sanchez as well as Jays manager John Gibbons were ejected from the game.
Expect tensions to be high in this one as the revenge factor will be a notable storyline.
Toronto will look to take advantage of Volquez, who finished out the regular season with a 4.89 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in seven games (six starts) whereas Kansas City will need to bring all their firepower to take down Estrada. The right-hander finished 2-0 with a 2.96 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in the last month of 2015.
Check here for tonight's lineups.
Check out the live stream for tonight's game here as well as the radio broadcast here (KC) or here (TOR).
