With the American League Division Series showdown between the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals knotted 1-1, the scene shifts to Houston's Minute Maid Park for Game 3 at 4 p.m. ET Sunday.
The upstart 'Stros proved they belonged on baseball's biggest stage with a 5-2 victory in Game 1, an encouraging encore to their Wild Card Game win over the Yankees in New York. But the Royals answered back in Game 2, erasing a two-run deficit in the sixth inning and ultimately prevailing 5-4.
Now, with Astros ace Dallas Keuchel set to take the hill against steady Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez, let's examine a few keys that could decide the outcome of this pivotal contest.
Minute Maid mayhem
It's been 10 years since Houston hosted an MLB playoff game, so you can bet the joint will be rocking.
Plus, the team announced that the roof will be closed for Games 3 and 4, which takes the crowd noise to another decibel.
"Our ballpark fully enclosed can get really loud when it's 40-50,000 people," Astros skipper A.J. Hinch said, per USA Today. "It's bring your earplugs."
Houston drew an average of 26,587 fans during the regular season, fewer than any other playoff team, according to figures ESPN compiled.
Sunday will surely be a sellout, though, and a chance for the Astros to build on the 53-28 mark they posted at home, which is tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for best in the AL.
The essential step will be to plate a few runs early and get the fans into it. Then, bust out those earplugs.
Lean on the long ball
The Astros hit 230 home runs in the regular season, more than any club other than the Blue Jays (who hit 232). And in two postseason games, they've already clubbed five dingers to pace the playoff pack.
Now, they'll get a chance to tee off in the cozy confines of Minute Maid Park, the fourth-most homer-happy yard in the Junior Circuit, according to ESPN's Park Factors statistic.
Volquez gave up a scant 16 home runs in 200.1 innings this season, but two of those came in his only start in Houston.
A couple more well-timed taters in Game 3 could tip the scales in the Astros' favor.
Kansas City, by contrast, hit just 139 home runs in the regular season, second-fewest in the AL. That's what happens when you play half your games at spacious Kauffman Stadium and build your team around defense, speed and situational execution.
But the Royals are far from punchless. In fact, they've hit three home runs in this ALDS already, including two off the bat of designated hitter Kendrys Morales in Game 1 and one from catcher Salvador Perez in Game 2.
The Royals, who took the fewest walks in the American League during the season, also drew some key free passes in Game 2. As CBS Sports' Mike Axisa noted, "Hey, if you're going to win the World Series, you're going to have to win some games in ways you normally wouldn't."
Keuchel yielded only 17 long balls in 232 innings in the regular season and added six more shutout frames in the Wild Card Game, so it's not as if home runs are guaranteed for K.C. in Game 3.
For the right-handed swingers in both lineups, however, that short porch in left field is going to look mighty tempting.
Demystifying Dallas
The Astros are no doubt hoping to ride Keuchel, who pitched on three days' rest in the Wild Card Game for the first time all season but will be on his normal four days for Game 3.
If the Royals can somehow chase Houston's ace early, however, they'd expose an Astros bullpen that posted a 5.63 ERA in September and October and has question marks before closer Luke Gregerson.
Keuchel is one of the best arms in baseball, and the stud southpaw showed he's unfazed by the playoff glare with a brilliant postseason debut in New York.
The Royals lineup, however, has had some success against him.
While the usual sample-size caveats apply, Lorenzo Cain (5-for-12 with two doubles and a home run), Eric Hosmer (4-for-6), Morales (6-for-16 with a double) and Alex Rios (10-for-26 with four doubles and four RBI) have strong career numbers against Keuchel.
"We do well against aces," Hosmer told reporters. "We're gonna go in there and battle and try to get off to an early lead. The way the bullpen's been throwing for us, if we can just get off to an early lead as an offense, then we'll feel pretty good about it going in."
That's not to say you should bet on a Royals hit parade, or against Keuchel doing Keuchel things Sunday. But if you're a Royals fan looking for solace against a scary opposing pitcher, there you go.
All statistics current as of Oct. 10 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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