(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
  Royals come from behind to take 2-0 lead vs. Blue Jays!
Nederlands
 KANSAS CITY, Missouri (USA) -
The Kansas City Royals came from behind to win Game Two of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series vs. Toronto Bue Jays with a 6-3 score on Saturday (October 17).
The Royals trailed 3-0 in the seventh inning, but then rallied for five runs to turn the game its way.
When the Royals gave up a run in the third, it ended their streak if 18 scoreless innings this postseason, which set a club-record.
The overall record is 33, set in 1966 by the Baltimore Orioles.
The Royals won the opener with a 5-0 score and now have a 2-0 lead.
Game Three will be played on Monday in Toronto.
Later tonight, the National League Championship Series opens in New York with the first match-up between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.
Starting pitchers today were righthander Yordano Ventura for the Royals and lefthander David Price for the Blue Jays.
24-year old Dominican Yordano Ventura was 13-8 this season with a 4.08 ERA
This season, Ventura was 1-0 against the Blue Jays, which also was his first win ever against the Canadian squad.
Today was his eighth postseason-appearance and seventh start.
He started Game 1 of the ALDS vs. Houston Astros and then was the losing pitcher.
He also started Game 4, but then had a no-decision.
30-year old American David Price was 18-5 this season with a 2.45 ERA.
Price was 1-0 this season vs. the Royals and is 2-0 in his career against the team from Kansas City.
Price started the first game for Toronto in the ALDS vs. the Texas Rangers and then was the losing pitcher.
He pitched in relief in Game 4.
In the first inning, Yordano Ventura retired the side, while his counterpart David Price gave up a lead-off single to Alcides Escobar on the first pitch he made.
Escobar was forced out on what initially was ruled a double play-grounder by Ben Zobrist, but he was called safe after a challenge.
He was left behind when a flyout and strikeout followed.
In the top of the second inning, Edwin Encarnacion and Chris Colabello led off with singles.
During the day, it was questionable whether Encarnacion would start,as he left the first game with a sprained ligament in his left middle finger.
But, he was able to play and with that, the Royals had an important player back in the line-up.
With two runners on base, a strkeout followed, then the inning ended when a double play was made on a line drive by Russell Martin.
Toronto opened the score in the top of the third inning when Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins began the at bat with back-to-back doubles to make it an 1-0 score.
After some fine innings by both pitchers and their defense, the next runs were scored in the top of the sixth inning.
And it was again Toronto that scored them.
Josh Donaldson led off with a single, which came after he had fouled off a pitch that was caught barehanded by catcher Salvador Pérez near the backstop.
However, the ball hit a wire that holds up the backstop and with that, the ball was dead and thus not in play anymore.
Home Plate Umpire Laz Diaz made the correct decision by calling it a foul ball.
On the next pitch, Donaldson singled, then José Bautista walked.
A following single by Edwin Encarnacion brought in Donaldson to double Toronto's lead.
With one out, Troy Tulowitzki doubled into rightfield that enabled Bautista to cross home plate and made it 3-0.
The bases then got loaded when Russell Martin walked and that led to a pitching change.
Luke Hochevar took over, an infield-fly followed, then a groundout ended the at bat.
In the meantime, David Price was silencing the Royals-offense.
From the first inning on, he retired 17 batters in a row, but then ran into problems in the bottom of the seventh after having struckout the side in the previous at bat.
But now, the Royals struck with five runs and turned the game its way!
First, Price gave up lead-off single to Ben Zobrist, which landed between the second baseman and rightfielder.
Next, Lorenzo Cain also singled, followed by a runscoring single by Eric Hosmer that narrowed the deficit to 3-1.
With runners on first and third base, the next run was scored on a grounder by Kendrys Morales, then the Royals came alongside when Mike Moustakas also singled.
After Price followed with his eighth strikeout in the game, he gave up a double to Alex Gordon that gave Kansas City a 4-3 lead!
Price was relieved by Aaron Sanchez, but he was greeted by a runscoring single by Álex Ríos.
A grounder finally ended the the very productive inning, but the Royals were leading 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Royals scored again.
With one out, Lorenzo Cain walked, then Aaron Loup was brought in as new pitcher.
Moments later, Cain was caught stealing, but then Loup walked Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales, followed by a runscoring single by Mike Moustakas that made it 6-3.
Another pitching change followed, as Mark Lowe took over.
A line out followed, but the Royals had added an insurance run.
Closer Wade Davis took over the Royals-pitching in the top of the ninth.
But he gave up a lead-off single to Kevin Pillar, then walked pinch-hitter Cliff Pennington.
Davis then struckout the next two batters and a flyout ended the game to complete a great comeback!
And with that, the Royals now travel to Toronto with a 2-0 lead!
(October 17)
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