TORONTO — Ned Yost stands by the adage that momentum in baseball depends on the next starting pitcher.
Based on the identity of his starter for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday, the Kansas City manager can feel good about the chances of the Royals clinching a second consecutive berth in the World Series.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez, who held the Toronto Blue Jays to two hits and four walks in a 5-0 win in Game 1, is set to start the potential clincher Wednesday.
Kansas City took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 14-2 pounding of Toronto on Tuesday in Game 4.
When he was asked Tuesday if he felt that Volquez has a chance to repeat that performance Wednesday, Yost said, “You hope that he can. That’s why the game is so wonderful, it’s not a cookie-cutter game. You don’t know what you’re going to get until you get out there, find out what’s working and how your command is, and if you’re duplicating your mechanics and being able to repeat. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
Volquez was 13-9 with a 3.55 ERA during the regular season, and he is 1-1 with a 2.31 ERA in the postseason.
He feels that facing the Blue Jays for a second consecutive start will present a challenge.
“It’s not easy,” he said Tuesday. “That’s a good question. I think facing this guy last week, and I’ve got to face him again tomorrow, it is very important for me to execute my pitches and keep the ball down, stick with the plan and just pitch in and out. Be consistent and stay aggressive with my pitches. We’ll see what happens.”
Volquez said Game 1 was one of those days where everything was working.
“That’s one of the best feelings in the world,” he said. “That day was like — I had a great feeling. I knew I’d pitch a really good game. I didn’t know it would end the way it did, but I had a good feeling that day that I would pitch a really good game, and I did.”