Game 2

Game 2 prediction:

Royals 6, Mets 3
WP: Cueto, LP: DeGrom, S: Davis
MVP: Lorenzo Cain

Here's why:

1.) Feel good about Cueto tonight. Winning that game last night the way the Royals did can't have any other affect on the team than bringing them together. Cueto should be dealing tonight, and- cannot believe this hasn't been talked about at all- the Mets' lineup is soft. Murphy going ham on the Cubs doesn't make Legares or Conforto world beaters. After Cespedes, nobody on the Mets should scare anyone.

2.) Last night was big for the Royals' offense. No doubt they've been hearing about the Mets' starters all week. Harvey looked awfully ordinary last night. DeGrom is much better than Harvey in a vacuum, but I do think the Royals' lineup will bring his gaudy numbers back to the mean in terms of swings-and-misses, just like it did with Harvey. That means more balls in play for the Mets' defense to kick around. Also think he walks 2 or 3, as Royals may flip the script on first pitch swings and be a little more patient tonight.

BONUS- Mike Moustakas is locked in right now. Looks like the most comfortable hitter in the Royals' lineup outside of Ben Zobrist. Think he has a huge series after hitting a lot of balls on the screws but right at people in the previous two series. Already off to a great start.

3.) Mets look jumpy. They're not comfortable. The K will be rocking again tonight, and the eye test is telling me these Mets are a little caught up in the bright lights. Not too different from the Royals in last year's Series. These kind of jitters manifest themselves in rushed throws, altered gameplans, quick at-bats and in-game blunders. All of these things came to fruition last night. Royals just need a couple tonight to jump out to a 2-0 series lead.

4.) Yost will be Yost. This has tended to work out, regardless of what it means in terms of in-game decision making. Could be we see young Raul Mondesi in a big spot either at the dish or on the bases tonight. Could also mean Sal Perez catches 14 more innings. Who knows.

5.) Finally, and getting back to the offense, I've felt like Lo Cain and Hosmer have been on the cusp of a breakout all playoffs. They've shown signs, and Cain's been on base a ton, but they haven't had those big extra-base hits that gave this team such a boost in last year's playoffs. Don't be surprised if one of these two squares up a DeGrom heater and gives the folks by the fountains something to retrieve. These are the Royals' two best hitters. Time to show the world.

Let's Go Royals!

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