Playoff Gameday Thread, #20: The Mets must win

Game 2, 5:07 pm Fox. Royals lead 1-0

Yordano Ventura RHP, 13-8, 4.08

Noah Syndergaard RHP, 9-7, 3.24

Alcides Escobar - SS	Curtis Granderson - RF
Ben Zobrist - 2B	David Wright - 3B
Lorenzo Cain - CF	Daniel Murphy - 2B
Eric Hosmer - 1B	Yoenis Cespedes - CF
Mike Moustakas - 3B	Lucas Duda - 1B
Salvador Perez - C	Travis d'Arnaud - C
Alex Gordon - LF	Michael Conforto - LF
Alex Rios - RF	Wilmer Flores - SS
Yordano Ventura - RHP	Noah Syndergaard - RHP

The Mets offense failed them entirely over the first two games, being held to a .165 average, with just a single extra-base hit - Granderson's home-run in Game 1 - over 79 at-bats so far in the series. Cespedes and Wright combined to go 3-for-21 with no walks and five strikeouts, but there's hardly anyone on the roster who acquitted themselves creditably with the lumber in Kansas City, save probably Lucas Duda who went 4-for-9. With a 1.57 ERA in their pocket, the Royals look to Ventura to step further on the Mets' throat this evening, and take the visitors to the brink of triumph.

It promises to be a duel of fireballers, with Syndergaard and Ventura ranked first and third in the majors for average fastball velocity among qualifying starters, according to Stats Inc. But that might play into the Royals' strengths. We'll see whether they prevail, or if the legend pf Thor gets to grow a little more in the telling tonight.