Playoff Gameday Thread, #14: Blue Jays flying low

Game 3, 5:07 pm FS1. Royals lead 2-0.

Johnny Cueto LHP, 11-13, 3.44

Marcus Stroman RHP, 4-0, 1.67

Alcides Escobar - SS	Ben Revere - LF
Ben Zobrist - 2B	Josh Donaldson - 3B
Lorenzo Cain - CF	Jose Bautista - RF
Eric Hosmer - 1B	Edwin Encarnacion - DH
Kendrys Morales - DH	Chris Colabello - 1B
Mike Moustakas - 3B	Troy Tulowitzki - SS
Salvador Perez - C	Russell Martin - C
Alex Gordon - LF	Kevin Pillar - CF
Alex Rios - RF	Ryan Goins - 2B

The Blue Jays have been here before, of course, losing the first two games of the division series against the Astros, before coming back to advance in five. Indeed, arguably, that was significantly worse, as Toronto dropped Games 1 and 2 at home in Canada, and then had to win back-to-back elimination contests on the road in Kansas City. So this clearly isn't over. But another loss tonight would certainly put Toronto behind the Eh-t ball (hohoho), for the list of teams that have gone three games down in post-season play and come back to win, begins and ends with the 2004 Red Sox. So if not an elimination game here for them, it's close to one.

Just as against the Astros, a key has been the lack of Blue Jays offense - whether through their own struggles or good Royals' pitching is, of course, a valid question. Through the first two games they have scored just three, and the best offense in the major leagues during the regular season has batted collectively below the Uecker Line in Games 1 + 2, hitting a feeble .197/.284/.258. The Royals have not exactly been slugging the cover off the ball, at .258/.299/.387, but it has been good enough when their staff has a 1.50 ERA. If Cueto pitches like he did in the second game vs. Houston, rather than the first, these Canadians could be close to bacon by the end of the night.