Playoffs game blog: The Kansas City Royals are chasing an Orioles ALCS record

Any Orioles fans that are rooting against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series now have another reason to root for a Royals loss this afternoon.

Kansas City is chasing the Orioles in the record book. The Royals have won eight straight ALCS games dating to 1985. That is the second-longest win streak in Major League Baseball history. The Orioles hold the mark with 10 wins in a row in the ALCS, from 1969-73.

On the mound this afternoon, left-hander David Price pitches against K.C. right-hander Yordano Ventura. Price is looking to get Toronto even in the series and turn around his own playoff struggles.

Price is the only player in baseball history to lose his first six postseason starts. His 5.23 ERA in six postseason starts is baseball's 10th-worst all-time mark. In two appearances in the ALDS, he gave up eight runs and 11 hits in 10 innings. Price did get a win in relief in Game 4 against Texas, but even then he allowed three runs over three innings.

You have to wonder if these postseason struggles will impact Price's free agent bargaining power?

Ventura went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in two ALDS starts against Houston, but one was shortened by rain. Over seven innings, he gave up eight hits and six runs.

The Royals have a 1-0 lead in the series after Friday's 5-0 win as Edinson Volquez and three relievers teamed on a three-hitter. Volquez gave up just two hits over six innings and Toronto went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Salvador Perez hit a solo homer as five different Royals drove in runs.

Tonight, the New York Mets (90-72) host the Chicago Cubs (97-65) in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at 8:07 p.m. at Citi Field.

The Cubs are trying to end a long World Series drought. They haven't played in the Fall Classic since 1940 and last won the World Series in 1908. The Mets last World Series win was in 1986.

Tonight's starting pitchers are left-hander Jon Lester (11-12, 3.34 ERA) for the Cubs and right-hander Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71 ERA) for the Mets.

During the regular season, Chicago went 7-0 against New York. That was before the Mets acquired Yoenis Cespedes and got several injured players back. But the Cubs held the Mets to 11 runs in those games, giving up just 42 hits over 65 innings with a 1.52 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP.