The Stage is Set and so are the Teams for the 111th MLB World Series

Picture Courtesy of LG Patterson / MLB Photos

By Francisco Romero

The Kansas City Royals are making a trip back to the World Series after beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the sixth game of the American League Championship Series Friday night.

With a 3-1 lead and five outs to go in the top of the eighth inning, the Blue Jays made life difficult for the Royals as Jose Bautista hit a two-run home run off Kansas City reliever Ryan Madson.

Then things turned out into suspense as the game was delayed 45 minutes for rain.

When the game resumed, the Royals scored the fourth run on an RBI hit by Eric Hosmer; Lorenzo Cain scored on the play.

The Royals took the lead for good on the eighth inning.  

Kansas City’s shortstop Alcides Escobar was named the Most Valuable Player of the ALCS.

Escobar hit .478 (11-for-23) with 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBI and 6 runs scored.

“This year, from the first day at Spring Training, we expected to be here,” Royals manager Ned Yost said after the game.  “Our players, they had such a great season, they would never quit, they continued to battle, even when the chips were down a little bit.”

The Blue Jays’ manager John Gibbons congratulated the Royals after the game; “We put up our best fight today. And they’ve got a great team over there, and they’ll represent the American League really well.”

“You know, anytime you lose something and you’re trying to get to the top, it’s disappointing, it sucks it out of you. But there’s too many good things that have happened and too many great players that you admire and enjoy battling with, really. I won’t forget that,” added Gibbons during the postgame press conference.

The World Series will begin Tuesday October 27 in Kansas City; the Royals will face the New York Mets.

The Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs for the right to represent the National League in the Fall Classic.