Players in the Postseason: #WinorGoHome #ItsBlackandWhite (Oct. 17)

Updated: Oct. 17

Trivial Pursuits

Who holds the record for the most home runs in a single LCS?

Pitching Royalty

The Blue Jays don't get stifled very often, but that's just what Edinson Volquez and a trio of relievers did to them in Game 1 of the ALCS. The Dominican veteran didn't allow a runner past second base over six innings against the formidable Toronto lineup, which averaged more than five runs and was only shut out five times in the regular season. Using a two-seam fastball that reached 97 mph, Volquez struck out five, allowed two hits and four walks -- three to Jose Bautista -- while throwing 111 pitches before handing over to Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Luke Hochevar for an inning each. It was the first postseason win for Volquez.

Get Up and Go Again

The Blue Jays don't have to wait too long for their chance to even their ALCS with the Royals. They play Game 2 in Kansas City at 4 p.m. ET on FS1 -- that's just 3 p.m. in Kansas City, following the night game.

Ace David Price, acquired at the trade deadline from the Tigers, will try to help the Jays even the series. Price has struggled in the postseason, but he is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against Kansas City, including a 1-0 mark and 2.93 ERA in two starts against them this season. The 30-year-old right-hander remains confident.

"I know it's going to come," Price said. "I have 100 percent confidence in myself. I know my teammates do, as well, and our coaching staff. This is part of it. You've got to be able to live in the moment."

Yordan Ventura will try to make it three straight strong starting performances for the Royals. He's 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts against Toronto.

Weather or Not

The Cubs and Mets begin their series at Citi Field with decidedly autumn-like weather conditions this weekend. The temperature was projected to be in the upper 40s when NLCS game coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, and forecasters predicted slightly cooler temperatures for Sunday night. Of course, most players prefer to play in warm weather, especially the guys from warm-weather countries, but they do what they need to do in terms of clothing and preparation, then put it out of their minds.  

"It's not that big of a deal right now given this is the playoffs and we have a lot of adrenaline," slugger Kris Bryant said. "If you hit it on the fat part of the bat, you don't feel it. That's our mindset. Hopefully we can square a lot of balls up."

The Substitute

Twenty-two-year-old Javier Baez is showing he's not just a substitute but can be an asset to the Cubs as he replaces Addison Russell, who is out for at least the series with a hamstring injury. He hit a three-run homer to help the Cubs eliminate the Cardinals, and he batted .289 in 76 regular season at-bats. But steady defensive play is what the club most needs from the savvy Puerto Rican-born, Florida-raised infielder.

He got much of his defensive playing time this year at second and third, but now he's back where he's probably most comfortable.

"It feels normal to play shortstop," he told ESPN. "I've been taking ground balls there the whole year. I've been playing shortstop. It doesn't feel any different."

The Celebrities

Even with the Dodgers' loss disappointing their huge Hollywood following, there are plenty of remaining celebrities whose teams are still playing in the postseason based on this list. Among them are Cubs fans Eddie Vedder (although his Pearl Jam tour conflicts with the World Series), John Cusack, Bill Murray and Vince Vaughn; Royals fans David Cook, Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis; Mets fans Matthew Broderick, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart and Hilary Swank; and Blue Jays supporters Drake, Avril Lavigne, and Rachel McAdams. That's just a sampling. We're sure there are many, many more.

The Tune In

With a big market-presence that has included New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, postseason U.S. viewership is up 22 percent from last year going into the LCS round, and MLB says the average audience of nearly 4.2 million is the highest since 2010.

The Trivia Answer

Seattle's Nelson Cruz, when he was a member of the Texas Rangers (6 HRs in 2011 ALCS)

Follow us @MLB_Players and to catch our postseason social media series, titled #WinOrGoHome #ItsBlackandWhite, featuring some up-close photos courtesy of Getty Sports.