Oct 14, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals fans celebrate after the win over the Houston Astros in game five of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
1. THE KC ROYALS FEED OFF COMEBACKS
I admit, the no. 1 reason I believe the Kansas City Royals will knock off the Toronto Blue Jays isn’t really rational.
The KC Royals might be the comeback kids of this baseball generation, but it’s hardly as if Toronto wilts under pressure. The Blue Jays just pulled off their own historic comeback against the Texas Rangers, and their crazy seventh-inning rally shows they can handle pressure.
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But, the Kansas City Royals don’t just “handle” pressure, they thrive on it. If anything, the KC Royals have shown their play hits another level when their backs are to the wall.
The Kansas City Royals have now faced five elimination games since making the 2014 playoffs. They’ve won four out of the five games, only suffering a narrow one-run defeat to a Giants team that will go down in baseball history as a dynasty after winning three World Series titles in five years.
In two of those elimination games, the KC Royals overcame four-run deficits after an eighth-inning rally—which had never been done in baseball history until this group of Kansas City Royals matured into a winning club. Their third elimination game win also included a rally from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Astros in Game 5 the ALDS.
The last time the KC Royals rallied from a four-run deficit to stave off elimination, they responded with a seven-game playoff winning streak that included a major-league record four extra-inning playoff victories in one post-season. The Royals are an emotional team that have proved to be an almost overwhelming force once they catch momentum in the playoffs.
Notice that the KC Royals have, once again, pulled off a four-run rally to survive in the 2015 playoffs.
There’s no way I’m going to believe this team will lose after doing that. Another seven-game winning streak will put them on the cusp of a title.
While I don’t think the KC Royals will repeat last season’s historic playoff run, I do think they’ll be too much for the Blue Jays.