ALDS Game 5’s in Review

What a postseason so far. Three out of four LDS have gone to a game 5. In the first two games, the home team has won, a different direction than the postseason seemed to be heading in the beginning. The Mets still have to travel today out to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers and Greinke. Don’t miss it, it’s much watch baseball at 8 ET. over on TBS.

Speaking of must watch baseball, Wednesday October 14th was full of it. From the first pitch of the Rangers @ Blue Jays, to the last drop of champagne sprayed in the Royals clubhouse, the sport never failed to excite. The day featured two late inning home runs that sealed the deal for their respective teams. Jose Bautista came through with one of the most epic bat flips of all time.

That bat flip will be etched deep into the baseball history books. This series especially was one of the most emotional baseball series every played. The story it told was the story of the 2015 season for the Blue Jays. Being down early in the season, it wasn’t looking great for them before the trade deadline, same feeling being down 0-2 in the ALDS to the Rangers. They went out and added some pieces at the deadline and finished one game out of the #1 seed. Just like in the regular season, the Blue Jays refused to quit. They took two in Texas, something nobody expected them to do. Then game 5 was an emotional roller coaster, it featured 2 bench clearing incidents, and a few fans throwing stuff on the field, but in the end, “Joey Bats” put the exclamation point on a series that deserved one more than any.

Arguably the new best team in the AL, the Kansas City Royals and the upstart Cinderella team Houston Astros faced off in their own game 5 last night. This series was also very entertaining. It told a story of itself.

Going into game 4, the Astros were riding on the high of a dominate performance from Dallas Kuechel. The ‘Stros took that same mindset into the 8th inning of game 4 where they had a 7-2 lead. Houston fans were already looking towards the ALCS. But you have to know the Royals have a 4 run comeback in 2 innings in them. Everyone remembers the monumental 2015 AL Wildcard where the Royals overcame a 8-3 deficit against the Athletics. It happened again this Wednesday.

The game was tied on a error off the bat of the Royals slugger Kendrys Morales when a grounder skipped over the glove of Carlos Correa. Another couple runs later, including a 2-run bomb from Eric Hosmer in the 9th and the Royals came back to force a game 5. Game 4 will be how this series is remembered, but in game 5, Johnny Cueto pitched like Johnny Cueto for the first time in a Royals uniform.

He went 8 innings of 2-hit ball, there was never any bad pitches, Louis Valbuena took one out in the 2nd, but it wasn’t really a bad pitch. Other than that it was smooth sailing. Cueto retired his last 19 batters faced, a Royals postseason record. He then was relieved by the best reliever in all of baseball, Wade Davis. Three outs later and the party was on in Kansas City.

A Look Ahead to the ALCS

The Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals will kick off the ALCS in Kansas City on Friday October 16th. The series seems to be a series of different philosophies. Its small ball vs big ball. Bunts and sac flies of KC vs the big bombs of Toronto. The battle of the blues. The AL representative of the World Series will be decided. It all starts Friday at 8:00 pm ET. on Fox Sports One.

Prediction: Royals over the Blue Jays in 7 games.