Schedule and 2015 Results
Regular Season Records: Kansas City 95-67, Toronto 93-69
Game 1 on Friday, 16 October: Toronto loses at Kansas City, 5-runs-nil
Game 2 on Saturday, 17 October: Toronto loses at Kansas City, 6-runs-3
Game 3 on Monday, 19 October: Kansas City loses at Toronto, 11-runs-8
Game 4 on Tuesday, 20 October: Kansas City wins at Toronto, 14-runs-2
Game 5 on Wednesday, 21 October: Kansas City loses at Toronto, 7-runs-1
Game 6 on Friday, 23 October: Toronto loses at Kansas City, 4-runs-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Kansas City Royals hosted and bested the Toronto Blue Jays 4-runs-3 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1284 victory. With the series 1284 win, the Kansas City Royals improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1284 loss, the Toronto Blue Jays see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Kansas City Royals in series 1284 was WWLWLW: Series 1284 thus becomes the fourth MLB Semifinals-round series, the fifth MLB series (all rounds), and the 42nd MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The 64 combined runs by Kansas City and Toronto in series 1284 tie for the fourth-most in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series lasting six games (a category led by Toronto and the Philadelphia Phillies with 81 combined runs in series 650, the 1993 MLB Finals), and is the most in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series lasting six games since series 1153, in which the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers combined for 69 runs in their 2011 National League Championship Series. The sum of the series 1284 victory margins of 30 runs is the third-highest in best-of-7 MLB playoff series history for series lasting six games, next only to series 1119 (31 runs; 2010 American League Championship Series; Texas Rangers defeating the New York Yankees) and series 29 (32 runs; 1936 MLB Finals; New York Yankees defeating the New York Giants). In the top of the ninth inning of series 1284 Game 6, the visiting Toronto Blue Jays trailed Kansas City by one run, had a runner on third base with no outs, but did not score. Four previous times in best-of-7 format MLB Semifinals history had the road team trailed by a run in the top of the ninth inning, and had a runner at least on third base with no outs: In series 649 Game 1, in the 1993 NLCS, the Atlanta Braves in Philadelphia against the Phillies scored that run to tie the game; in series 696 Game 1, in the 1995 NLCS, the Atlanta Braves in Cincinnati against the Reds scored that run to tie the game; in series 745 Game 4, in the 1997 ALCS, the Baltimore Orioles in Cleveland against the Indians scored that run to tie the game; in series 955 Game 4, in the 2005 NLCS, the St. Louis Cardinals in Houston against the Astros failed to score their runner on third base in that situation. So it is that a Missouri team had failed on the road in that situation a decade ago, and now a road team in Missouri has done likewise.

After Game 5: The Toronto Blue Jays hosted and defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-runs-1 to drop the Kansas City Royals best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1284 lead to 3-games-2. In series 1284, the Kansas City Royals lead a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2 for the first time ever, while the Toronto Blue Jays trail a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2 for the first time ever. MLB teams such as Kansas City in series 1284 which lead a best-of-7 playoff series WWLWL have an active five-series winning streak; the last two MLB teams to post this win order through the first five series games but lose the series were the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1985 MLB Finals, and the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1985 ALCS - both to the Kansas City Royals. So it is that the 2015 Kansas City Royals hope to deter the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays from following the precedent set by the 1985 Royals against the 1985 Jays.

After Game 4: The Kansas City Royals visited and trounced the Toronto Blue Jays 14-runs-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1284 lead of 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 5 record of 0-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Toronto Blue Jays have a series record of 0-2 and a Game 5 record of 0-2. The 14 series 1284 Game 4 runs plated by the Kansas City Royals tie for the second-most in a Game 4 of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, with the 14 runs scored by the Philadelphia Phillies in series 650 . . . in the 1993 MLB Finals Game 4 at home against the Toronto Blue Jays (which scored 15 runs to win that game). With a series 1284 win order of WWLW through the first four games of a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series, teams such as the Kansas City Royals have an 11-1 series record with an active 11-series winning streak - the sole loss was sustained in series 456, by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1985 MLB Semifinals, to the Kansas City Royals. The 33 runs scored by Kansas City in the first four games of series 1284 tie for the third-most runs scored in the first four games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series (with the Chicago Cubs in series 904, in the 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins); tying for the most runs scored in the first four games of such a series (with 37 runs) are the Toronto Blue Jays in series 650, in the 1993 MLB Finals against the Philadelphia Phillies. The dozen-run victory margin by Kansas City over Toronto in series 1284 Game 4 is the largest ever in Game 4 of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, breaking the old record of ten, set by the St. Louis Cardinals in their 12-runs-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in series 457 Game 4 (in the 1985 NLCS).

After Game 3: The Toronto Blue Jays hosted and vanquished the Kansas City Royals 11-runs-8 to reduce the Kansas City Royals best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1284 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 4 record of 0-1. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Toronto Blue Jays have a series record of 0-2 and a Game 4 record of 0-2. The only previous Kansas City Royals 2-games-1 lead in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series occurred in series 1253, against the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 MLB Finals. Kansas City scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning in Toronto in series 1284 Game 3: Those four runs are the most ever in the top of the ninth inning of a losing effort in a best-of-7 format MLB Semifinals-round game, and the most in the top of the ninth inning of a losing effort in a best-of-7 format MLB game (all rounds) since series 822, in which the New York Mets visited the New York Yankees and plated five top-ninth runs in a 6-runs-5 loss in 2000 MLB Finals Game 2. Series 1284 Game 3 is the second-highest scoring best-of-7 MLB Semifinals Game 3 ever, next only to series 936 in which the New York Yankees visited and defeated the Boston Red Sox 19-runs-8 in Game 3 of their 2004 MLB Semifinals (American League Championship Series).

After Game 2: The Kansas City Royals hosted and defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-runs-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1284 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 3 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Toronto Blue Jays have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 3 record of 1-0. Kansas City trailed Toronto by three runs after 6.5 innings of series 1284 Game 2. In the history of best-of-7 format MLB playoff games from 1905 through series 1284 Game 1, home teams trailing by three runs after the top of the seventh inning had a game record of only 7-44 (.137) overall and 2-17 (.105) in the MLB Semifinals. The two previous home-team MLB Semifinals game winners in this situation were the St. Louis Cardinals (hosting the Atlanta Braves in series 721 Game 4, in the 1996 National League Championship Series) and the New York Yankees (hosting the Boston Red Sox in series 903 Game 7, in the 2003 American League Championship Series). With an MLB-topping best-of-7 format Semifinals-round game-winning streak now at nine games, the Kansas City Royals (1985, 2014-15) match multi-year best-of-7 format Semifinals-round game-winning streaks of the NBA Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982-83) and Chicago Bulls (1993, 1996-97) and the NHL Detroit Red Wings (1954-56), Montreal Canadiens (1957-59 and 1965-67), New York Islanders (1980-82), and Edmonton Oilers (1983-85). The longest MLB/NBA/NHL multi-year best-of-7 format Semifinals-round game-winning streak is 13, by the 1965-68 Montreal Canadiens as the extension of the aforementioned Montreal nine-game streak.

After Game 1: The Kansas City Royals hosted and shut out the Toronto Blue Jays 5-runs-nil to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1284 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 2 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Toronto Blue Jays have a series record of 2-2 and a Game 2 record of 3-1. The 5-runs-nil series 1284 Game 1 shutout by the Kansas City Royals is the most one-sided shutout in Game 1 of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series since series 575, in which the Cincinnati Reds hosted and whitewashed the Oakland Athletics 7-runs-nil in Game 1 of the 1990 MLB Finals. The 5-runs-nil series 1284 Game 1 shutout by the Kansas City Royals is the most one-sided shutout in Game 1 of a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series ever. With the series 1284 Game 1 victory, the Kansas City Royals have an active eight-game best-of-7 MLB Semifinals winning streak - the longest such streak in MLB history (next is the Oakland Athletics, with seven straight best-of-7 MLB Semifinals game victories starting with Game 4 of their 1989 MLB Semifinals series and ending after Game 1 of their 1992 MLB Semifinals series).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2015 MLB regular season, the Kansas City Royals finished two games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. From 1905 through the 2014 MLB Finals round, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 6-7 (.461) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1284 is the sixth best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the Kansas City Royals, and the eighth for the Toronto Blue Jays. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Kansas City Royals have an all-rounds series record of 3-2, a Semifinals-round series record of 2-0, and a Game 1 record of 1-4, while the Toronto Blue Jays have an all-rounds series record of 4-3 (with an active four-series winning streak), a Semifinals-round series record of 2-3, and a Game 1 record of 3-4. Series 1284 is the second best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays. In their previous meeting, in series 456, the Kansas City Royals surmounted a 3-games-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games in the 1985 American League Championship Series - the first MLB Semifinals series to be played under the best-of-seven format.