Toronto Blue Jays face Kansas City Royals in do-or-die ALCS Game 5
Jays need 3 straight wins to advance to the World Series
The Blue Jays have been here before. But this time, they'll need to pull out all the stops if they're going to come back.
The Jays, who were blown out by the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the American League, now need to win three straight games to make it to the World Series. That battle starts today at the Rogers Centre at 4 p.m. ET.
Fans disappointed with Tuesday's performance were clear about what they want from the Jays in Game 5 and the rest of this series.
We believe in one another and it'll be alright.- R.A. Dickey, Blue Jays pitcher
"You put absolutely everything you have on the table," said Kory MacLaughlin.
"At least give it an honest effort. This wasn't the Jays. This wasn't the Jays that got here," added Edna Gervais, who travelled all the way from St. Paul, Alta. for the game.
Bert, her husband, said he's hoping the Blue Jays bats will wake up and the team can "return the favour" to the Royals.
If the Jays do it, it will revenge 30 years in the making. In 1985, the Royals were trailing the Jays 3-1 before they stormed back to win the American League pennant.
But first, they'll have to put Tuesday's "ugly" performance behind them, Jays manager John Gibbons said.
"There's no doubt it's a big challenge," Gibbons told reporters after the game.
"I know these guys will be ready."
ALCS a 'pretty good battle' says Royals superfan
"Hopefully tomorrow Marco can keep us in it and we can win one, and then we'll win another one, and then we'll see where we stand," Game 4 start R.A. Dickey told reporters after Tuesday's game.
"We believe in one another and it'll be alright."
But, Dickey added of the Royals, "This team is a really good team."
That's no surprise to Royals superfan Chris Coats, who has watched every home game for the past ten years – including last year's World Series games -- and has been braving the heckling at Rogers Centre this week.
"It's a pretty good battle between two great teams," Coats said of the ALCS so far.
"Toronto, they're just as hungry as we were last year."
Coats believes, however, that the Royals postseason experience is giving them an edge this time out.
"Just getting to Game 7 of the World Series was great for us," he said of last year's playoffs.
The difference this year, Coats said, is that the Royals expect more.
'The beauty of baseball'
But some fans who stuck out all nine innings of Tuesday's devastating loss were beginning to feel OK about how far the team has gone — even if this year doesn't bring the World Series trophy back to Toronto.
"What the city forgets is how special it is that we've got to this point right now," said Steve Michel after the game.
Does that mean he's giving up? Absolutely not.
"You don't know what's going to happen next, that's the beauty of baseball."