On Your Mark: For the Royals, it’s back to the World Series, Part II

Here we are, and despite what “Back to the Future Part II” may have led you to believe, this isn’t the Cubs’ year.

They gave it quite a run, well, until the New York Mets added another chapter to their curse-themed memoirs.

While the Mets only took four games to punch the National League ticket to the World Series, the Kansas City Royals made it more interesting. They won in six games against the Toronto Blue Jays, but nonetheless they’re back a year removed from losing in seven games to a Madison Bumgarner-fueled San Francisco Giants squad.

The series starts at 8 p.m. on Tuesday (Fox), but let’s take a quick look at both teams to get ready for what’s sure to be an engaging matchup.

Aces wild

New York: Jacob Degrom, 3-0, 1.80 ERA; Matt Harvey (Game 1 starter), 2-0, 2.84

Kansas City: Johnny Cueto, 1-1, 7.88; Edinson Volquez, 1-2, 4.32 (Game 1 starter TBA)

Now, the disparity in pitching is not as stark as the postseason numbers might indicate, but it’s definitely there. The Royals’ world series experience also doesn’t factor in with these two starters either, as both are new to the team this season. However, Cueto and Volquez do have experience in the playoffs outside this season to draw on, something the rookie Degrom and Harvey can’t say.

How they’ve fared

New York: 2-2 in WS appearances; last title: 1969, beating the Boston Red Sox 4-3. This was the series with the infamous Bill Buckner between-the-legs play. The Mets’ last appearance in the World Series was a 4-1 “subway series” loss to the Yankees in 2000.

Kansas City: 1-2 in WS appearances; last title: 1985, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3. Their last appearance isn’t a mystery, becoming the first team to make back-to-back trips to the World Series since the Texas Rangers in 2010-11. The Royals are hoping their fate is different from Texas’, as the Rangers fell both times.

Key numbers

New York: 6 ... days off since they won Game 4 over the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. It’s the great “rest vs. rust” debate. On one hand, close to a week to cure the ills that inevitably plague a team after a 162-game season and to set up the pitching is hard to view as a bad thing, but it often does end up being the culprit. Well, at least that’s the excuse used when a rested team comes out flat. We’ll have to wait and see how the Mets come out after so much downtime.

Kansas City: 7 ... as in, Game 7. Fine, I phoned in both of these and didn’t really come up with a stat, but many of these Royals surely have that Game 7 loss of last year seared into their minds. If this series gets drawn out, that experience will certainly come into play.

▪ Schedule (games at 8:07 p.m. on Fox, unless noted): Game 1, at KC, Tuesday; Game 2, at KC, Wednesday; Game 3, at NYM, Friday; Game 4, at NYM, Saturday; *Game 5, at NYM, Sunday 8:15 p.m.; *Game 6, at KC, Tuesday, Nov. 3; *Game 7, at KC, Wednesday, Nov. 4

*If Necessary

Of note

Area teams will be in action as state playoffs get underway. For girls volleyball, Class A and AA will begin on Wednesday, and Class AAA and AAAA will begin on Thursday. For girls tennis, Class AAAA will begin Wednesday and Class AAA will begin Thursday, but Class AA is not scheduled to start until Nov. 2. ... If you’re depressed by the end of the MLB season, the NBA has arrived just in time to fill that void. I mean ... if you’re into that sort of thing. The season kicks off on Tuesday with five playoff teams from last season. Oh, and the Pistons. The matchups: Detroit at Atlanta, 8 p.m.; Cleveland at Chicago, 8 p.m. (TNT); and New Orleans at Golden State, 10:30 p.m. (TNT). ... The Eliminator round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins with the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville (1:15 p.m., NBCSN) ... The PGA Tour’s fall slate continues with the CIMB Classic, beginning Thursday.

This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 4:00 AM with the headline "On Your Mark: For the Royals, it’s back to the World Series, Part II."