Kansas City @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 9, 2015 ) Houston 4, Kansas City 5

The Kansas City Royals have been cool under pressure since a strong September in 2014 pushed them all the way to the seventh game of the World Series, and staring down an 0-2 hole in the American League Division Series pulled out the best in the team. The Royals will try to take their first lead in 2015 American League Division Series when they visit the Houston Astros for Game 3 on Sunday.

Kansas City dropped Game 1 on Thursday and was down 4-2 in Game 2 on Friday before rallying to earn a 5-4 win behind some clutch hitting from Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar and Ben Zobrist, and its usual dominant work from the bullpen. “I kept telling the boys just we've got a long way to go,” Royals manager Ned Yost told reporters. “Just keep plugging away. Just keep plugging away. Let it happen. Don't try to make it happen. Just let it happen. And it did.” The Astros should feel plenty confident heading home with CY Young hopeful and wild-card winner Dallas Keuchel heading to the mound in Game 3, and they are looking to wrap up the best-of-five series without going back out on the road. “I know the Houston fans are ready for us to come home,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch told reporters. “We've got homefield advantage for the rest of this series. We got to take care of business in our own back yard.”

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55 ERA) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48)

Volquez tuned up for the postseason with two hitless innings at Minnesota last Sunday and surrendered three or fewer earned runs in each of his final four regular-season appearances. The Dominican Republic native is looking for his first postseason win and allowed a total of nine runs in 6 2/3 innings while starting in the 2010 NLDS for the Cincinnati Reds and the 2014 wild-card game for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Volquez is 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA in nine career starts against Houston but had to be bailed out by his offense at the Astros on July 1, when he was ripped for five runs and eight hits in five innings without factoring in the decision.

Keuchel started Tuesday’s AL wild-card game in New York on three days’ rest and dominated over six innings, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out seven in the 3-0 triumph. The All-Star has yielded a total of four runs in 26 2/3 innings over his last four starts and is 15-0 with a 1.46 ERA in 18 starts at home in 2015. Keuchel tossed eight scoreless innings to beat the Royals at home on June 30 but was lit up for five runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 frames at Kansas City on July 26.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros LF Colby Rasmus homered in each of the three postseason games and has six homers in as many games overall this month.

2. Kansas City 2B Ben Zobrist recorded multiple hits in four of six games this month and is 4-for-8 in the series.

3. Houston RF George Springer is 3-for-7 with a home run and three RBIs in the series and has hit safely in nine straight games going back to the regular season.

PREDICTION: Astros 4, Royals 1