KC Royals Must Forget About Game One

The Kansas City Royals took Game 1 of the ALCS last night by shutting out the Toronto Blue Jays.

Starting pitcher Edinson Volquez and the KC Royals three-hit the highest-scoring, highest-powered offense in baseball last night to grab an early 1-0 lead in the ALCS. It was a solid team win, an electric night at Kauffman Stadium and yet it’s time to move on.

Forget about it. Pretend you lost. Prepare like you’re down 0-1.

We’re all aware this is a seven-game series, and while Game 1 might be as important as any, no one’s told the Toronto Blue Jays it’s time to go to home. They’ll throw lefty David Price tomorrow. He’s faced the Royals six times in his career, posting a 2-0 record, a 1.93 ERA and just two home runs in 37 1/3 innings against Kansas City. (via Baseball-Reference.com)

Now, Game 1 is important, but it means nothing if you don’t close the deal.

Starting pitcher Yordano Ventura will face a Blue Jays lineup that was shutout just five times the entire regular season, but otherwise led the bigs in runs, home runs, doubles, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

For what it’s worth, across seven-game series’ in the MLB, NBA and NHL, teams that won Game 1 at home hold a 656-182 record in the series, according to WhoWins.com. That’s a 78.3 percent win-percentage for home teams who take the first of seven. Historically, the team playing Game 1 of a seven-game series at home (across MLB, NBA and NHL) wins the series nearly 67 percent of the time.

It’s a statement win for the Royals, and it puts the odds squarely against the Blue Jays. But it’s nothing more than that.

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Starting pitcher Yordano Ventura will face a Blue Jays lineup that was shutout just five times the entire regular season (once at the hands of the Royals), but otherwise led the bigs in runs, home runs, doubles, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. It’s not a lineup that slumps, and it’s not a lineup that will change its approach.

To go with the boxing analogy, the Royals took Round 1. It was a dominant Round 1, but this is (potentially) a seven-round fight. It’s a body of work that’s going to win it. The Royals should enjoy the Game 1 victory, then quickly turn around and prepare for the next one like the series is tied 0-0.

What they shouldn’t do is forget what Volquez did, which was pitch one of his finest outings of the season against a Toronto team that had just won three games in a row to save its season. It was nothing short of spectacular, and the Royals will need that again if this series comes back to Kauffman Stadium.

Until then, forget about Game 1 and find a way to win Game 2.

Next: KC Royals And Toronto Blue Jays: Opposites Attract

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