Kansas City Royals: Revisiting the 2015 ALCS Game 6

The Kansas City Royals get to return to Kauffman Stadium for Game 6 but will have to quiet down the Blue Jays bats if they want to prevent a Game 7.

The Kansas City Royals still had hopes of making it to the World Series for the second year in a row, but they would have to stop the Blue Jays first. After winning the first two games of the series, the Royals went back and forth with Toronto, finding themselves in Game 6, up 3-2 in the ALCS.

The Royals bats had been hot the entire series until the Blue Jays stopped them in Game 5. The Jays won Game 5 7-1 behind an outstanding performance from Marco Estrada. If the Royals wanted to advance to the World Series and finish the ALCS without a Game 7, they had to get back on track and put some runs on the board.

Game 6 would present a similar matchup from an earlier ALCS game. For Toronto, David Price got the start. The veteran Price had put together an outstanding 2019, going 9-1 with an ERA of 2.30 in his half-season with Toronto, and recording 220 innings with 225 strikeouts with both Toronto and Detroit. For the Royals, the young Yordano Ventura got the start. Ventura put together a decent 2015 season, going 13-8 with an ERA of 4.08 over 163 innings.

While a loss in Game 6 did not mean the end of the ALCS, the Royals did not want the series to come down to a winner takes all Game 7. The Royals knew they needed to come to play and put points on the board fast. A win in Game 6 meant not only the second Pennant in two years, but it meant a second trip to the World Series and a chance for the Kansas City Royals to finally be champions again.

On October 23, 2015, in front of 40,494 fans in Kauffman Stadium, Game 6 of the ALCS got started.

The Royals hoped to start the game at a quick pace, scoring quickly on the Blue Jays and taking the lead before Toronto could get the upper hand.

To start the game, Ben Revere doubled off a 1-1 pitch. Ventura was able to pull himself together, though. He followed up by sitting the next three Toronto batters, recording a strikeout, flyball and groundout. In the bottom of the first, the Kansas City Royals looked to get things started quickly.

Alcides Escobar started off the game with a groundout. Following Escobar, Ben Zobrist stepped to the plate and launched a home run into the stands. Price, not wanting the game to get away from him was able to close out the first with two more groundouts from Royals batters.

In the top of the second, Ventura continued strong, retiring all three Blue Jays he faced. For the Royals, the bottom of the second was deja vu. Kendrys Morales stepped to the plate first and hit a flyball out. To follow, Mike Moustakas drove a home run to right-center, extending the Royals lead to 2-0. Price again was able to hold the Royals to one run, striking out the next two batters he faced.

In the third inning, Ventura again looked good on the mound. He sat down three Toronto batters in order, retiring his ninth batter in a row. Price took the mound hoping to lock things down. He started the inning well, recording two outs. Following his second out to Escobar, Price gave up a walk to Zobrist and a single to Lorenzo Cain. Unable to move the line, Eric Hosmer gave up the final out. Price was able to keep the Royals from scoring in the third, holding the score at 2-0.

Having gained the lead to start the game, the Royals knew they had to continue to push forward if they wanted to hold onto it.

In the top of the fourth, Ventura started to show some fatigue. With one out, he gave up a home run to Jose Bautista, allowing the Blue Jays to get on the board. Fortunately, he was able to get out of the inning, giving up a single to Chris Colabello with two outs, but quickly recording a needed strikeout. David Price pulled it together for the fourth, recording three strikeouts on three batters.

The fifth and sixth innings were quiet for both teams. In the top of the fifth, Ventura started with two walks, one to Russell Martin and the other to Kevin Pillar. He was able to prevent any damage, though, pitching the next three batters into outs. David Price again looked good, giving up a single to Alex Rios with one out, but recording the final two outs of the inning shortly after.

The Kansas City Royals kept Ventura on the mound to start the sixth. With one out, he gave up a double to Edwin Encarnacion. The Royals brought in Kelvin Herrera to replace Ventura at this time. Herrera quickly finished the inning with a strikeout and flyball. Price answered strongly again, going three up three down to close out the sixth.

In the top of the seventh, Herrera continued to pitch well, sitting all three Blue Jays batters he faced. In the bottom of the seventh, the Royals looked to get things started again. Moustakas led off with a single to center. Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon followed up with outs, but on Gordon’s groundout, Moustakas was able to advance to second.

Following Gordons out, Toronto brought in Aaron Sanchez to replace David Price. Getting to Sanchez early, Alex Rios singled to left, allowing Moustakas to score. Paulo Orlando was put in at this point to pinch run for Rios. Escobar reached on a single to left, but scoring was stopped short as Sanchez recorded the final out, leaving the seventh with the Royals up 3-1.