KC Royals: Five Things About Game 2 Comeback VS. BlueJays

Oct 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis (17) and center fielder Lorenzo Cain (6) celebrates after beating the Toronto Blue Jays in game two of the ALCS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The KC Royals, AKA the Comeback Kings of October, have done it again. They’ve won yet another game while trailing in the late innings. This time they victimized Toronto Blue Jays ace David Price to turn a 3-0 seventh-inning deficit into a 6-3 victory in Game 2 of the 2015 American League Championship Series.

For those of you who are counting, that’s four come-from-behind victories for the Kansas City Royals out of their five post-season victories in 2015.

David Price came into the seventh inning Saturday night on cruise control. He had given up only a leadoff single in the first inning to Alcides Escobar. Aside from that one blot, he was dominating the KC Royals with a mere 66 pitches for 18 straight outs and eight strikeouts.

Price looked unbeatable.

Until, that is, the KC Royals stroked four consecutive singles that began when Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista, and second baseman Ryan Goins, misplayed Ben Zobrist‘s pop fly into a hit. By the time the inning ended, the Kansas City Royals had hung a five-spot on Price and seized a commanding (with their bullpen) 5-3 lead.

Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas added an RBI single in the eighth to give the KC Royals a 6-3 victory, and an encouraging 2-0 lead in the ALCS.

Right now, the formerly sad-sack Royals are two wins away from earning their second consecutive American League pennant. And they’re doing it on the back of their ability to pull out games in the late innings. Those heroics include two eighth-inning rallies to steal victories after falling behind by four runs in an elimination game, and a major-league record four extra-inning wins in one post season.

For Kansas City Royals fans still capable of rational thought, and at the risk of thinking too much about my favorite team pulling off an important victory rather than simply enjoying it, I’d like to present five observations about the KC Royals latest comeback victory.

Next: The Royals Have Pulled Out Too Many Improbable Comebacks To Dismiss Them As Luck

Sep 30, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) reacts after hitting a walk-off single against the Oakland Athletics during the twelfth inning of the 2014 American League Wild Card playoff baseball game at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

1. THE ROYALS HAVE PULLED OUT TOO MANY IMPROBABLE COMEBACKS TO DISMISS THEM AS LUCK

On Sept. 30, 2014, no team in baseball history had rallied from a four-run deficit to win an elimination game. The KC Royals have now repeated that feat in consecutive post-seasons. First they victimized the Oakland A’s 9-8 in what became an instant playoff classic to survive the wild card game in 2014. Next they downed the Houston Astros 9-6 to stave off elimination in Game 4 of the 2015 ALDS. 

KC Kingdom

In the 2015 playoffs, the Kansas City Royals have overcome two, two-run deficits, one three-run deficit, and one four-run lead to earn wins. And, coming from behind to win isn’t something that is odd for the KC Royals. Kansas City tied the Astros for most comeback wins in the American League with 41, which ranked third in major-league baseball behind the Cardinals (44) and Pirates (43).

Yet, in the post-season, the KC Royals take it to another level. Against top relievers in do-or-die games, the Kansas City Royals have shown remarkable resilience to overcome usually large leads.

And, watching them on Saturday night, you can see it’s no accident.

In particular, you see KC Royals cleanup hitter Eric Hosmer cutting down his swing to put the ball in play with two men on, rather than to continue trying to drive the ball after Price had frustrated the KC Royals over the previous six innings. It’s difficult to take such a restrained approach when your every instinct screams at you to attack in a high pressure situation.

Now, the KC Royals seventh inning comeback in Game 2 came when the meat of the Kansas City order were facing Price for the third time. They’d had time to figure him out. But the consistency of Kansas City Royals hitters to pull these late comebacks suggests an impressive amount of baseball craft.

It’s not just luck. The KC Royals have an unusual ability to adjust when playoff pressure has to be yammering within their skull. Resisting the urge to do too much also shows supreme confidence in the players that come behind you in the order. And the entire team has this faith.

Next: Coaching Has To Play A Big Role In KC's Rally Tendencies

Aug 6, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2. COACHING MUST PLAY A BIG ROLE IN KC’s RALLY TENDENCIES

I know this article is starting to read a little bit like a fan letter where I spout “I love you, man” to everyone connected to the KC Royals, but I do think recognizing the Royals ability to come back in high-stakes games has something to do with the coaching staff.

More from KC Royals News

• KC Royals Rumors: Is a monster move in the cards?
• KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: 3 Tampa Bay pitchers
• Grading the 2022 KC Royals: The $25 million man
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Expectations met
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 3 update

It’s one thing for one guy to figure out how to “try easier” under pressure—as KC Royals Vice-President of Baseball Operations, and baseball Hall-of-Famer, George Brett likes to say. It’s another for an entire team to adopt this philosophy.

With hitter after hitter buying into the “keep the line moving” approach, it’s clear that this comes from management.

The KC Royals appear to be a team that is unusually “coachable”. I think this characteristic came into focus as the team identity in their 2014 wild card win over the A’s. Afterward, you saw Mike Moustakas trying to take outside pitches the opposite way rather than pull them. Eric Hosmer adjusted his swing by studying video from his early days in the league. The team in general seemed to be applying what coaches had been preaching to address their weaknesses.

As a result, the 2014 Kansas City Royals weren’t a team that “got hot at the right time”. It was a team that grew into their potential under the crucible of the playoffs.

Their continued success in 2015, both during the regular season and their ability to steal improbable playoff victories, shows that their 2014 pennant wasn’t any fluke. The KC Royals are really this good.

Next: Eric Hosmer's Baserunning Was The Key To They Comeback

Oct 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) scores a run during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game two of the ALCS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

3. ERIC HOSMER’S BASERUNNING WAS THE KEY TO THE COMEBACK

The key to Saturday’s seventh-inning rally was two baserunning plays from Eric Hosmer. First, Hosmer ran on the pitch that Kendrys Morales grounded toward second base sent by first base coach Rusty Kuntz. If Hosmer had not been running on the pitch, the Blue Jays would have a perfect double play ball. Lorenzo Cain would still have scored the second run of the inning, but with two outs and no one on base, the Blue Jays would have been in position to escape the seventh inning with a one-run lead.

You can see a replay of the inning below:

Instead, Mike Moustakas came to the plate with Hosmer on second and one out. That’s when Hosmer made his second outstanding running play when he correctly read that Moose’s liner would be out of reach for a leaping Ryan Goins at second. Hosmer didn’t hesitate as the ball came off Moustakas’ bat, and that jump allowed him to score the tying run.

More from Kings of Kauffman

• KC Royals Rumors: Is a monster move in the cards?
• KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: 3 Tampa Bay pitchers
• Grading the 2022 KC Royals: The $25 million man
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Expectations met
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 3 update

This sequence shows how the KC Royals team speed helps them pull off late rallies. They’re a multi-faceted offense that can do a little bit of everything. Hosmer isn’t a speed guy like Terrance Gore, Lorenzo Cain, or Jarrod Dyson, but he’s got enough juice in his wheels to swipe a bag or take an extra base.

Most of the Kansas City lineup can make plays with their legs. That ability allows the Kansas City Royals to fully exploit the least little mistake by their opponents. Whereas the Blue Jays seemed to be waiting for someone to knock one out of park when they were trying to make up a three-run deficit in the ninth, the KC Royals can take advantage of any opportunity that might emerge late in the game.

Hosmer’s running plays kept the pressure on Blue Jays pitcher David Price rather than swinging to Moustakas to get the tying run with two outs and no one on base.

While Hosmer is gifted with better wheels than most first basemen, he’s hardly a speed demon. Instead, the Kansas City Royals used smart, aggressive decisions from both Hosmer and the coaching staff to get five runs out of a rally that could have run out of steam at two.

Next: Hochevar's Fifth Inning Escape Shows The Value Of KC's Bullpen Depth

Oct 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher David Price (14) on the mound during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals in game two of the ALCS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

5. TORONTO ALLOWING DAVID PRICE TO PITCH THE ENTIRE SEVENTH INNING HIGHLIGHTS THEIR SHALLOW BULLPEN

I was surprised that Toronto manager John Gibbons allowed David Price to pitch the entire seventh inning. I expected Gibbons to pull Price after Mike Moustakas drove in Eric Hosmer to tie the game at three all.

More from KC Royals News

• KC Royals Rumors: Is a monster move in the cards?
• KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: 3 Tampa Bay pitchers
• Grading the 2022 KC Royals: The $25 million man
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Expectations met
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 3 update

Clearly, the KC Royals hitters had figured out Price. And, tying up the game had jazzed Kauffman Stadium into a frenzy. I would have wanted to prevent Price from becoming the losing pitcher, and hope that going to the pen might help break Kansas City’s momentum.

However, upon reflection, I understood Gibbon’s decision. Right-handed hitter Salvador Perez followed Moustakas in the KC batting order, with lefty Alex Gordon behind Perez. If he pulled Price after Moustakas’ single, he would only have one lefty option to use against Gordon in Aaron Loup.

Loup is anything but a shut-down reliever with his 4.46 ERA in 2015. While Loup performed fairly well against left-handed hitters this season with a .275/.342/.362 for a .704 OPS and a 94 OPS+ (6% better than a league-average pitcher), he’s hardly a world-beater. Meanwhile, David Price has a strong track record against Alex Gordon, allowing only a .214/.214/.286 slash line in 14 career at bats.

Sticking with Price made sense given his early game performance, his career success against Gordon, and the lack of situational lefties available to Gibbons.  Price was probably the best lefty option available to the Blue Jays to face Alex Gordon.

After striking out Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon stroked a double into the right-center gap that drove in Moustakas from second to give Kansas City a 4-3 lead.

Gibbons lacks the luxury of two strong lefty relievers to help him win platoon advantages in the late innings, unlike KC Royals manager Ned Yost who has Franklin Morales and Danny Duffy. This shortcoming could prove fatal to the Toronto Blue Jays World Series aspirations.

Next: Royals Fans Take On Joe Buck

More from Kings of Kauffman

• KC Royals Rumors: Is a monster move in the cards?
• KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: 3 Tampa Bay pitchers
• Grading the 2022 KC Royals: The $25 million man
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Expectations met
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 3 update