The Mets have a big advantage for Games 3, 4 and 5, and it?s not just because they will be playing at home. The Royals lose their number five hitter and leading RBI man, DH Kendrys Morales, in the starting lineup in New York. Manager Ned Yost has proved he can?t wait to get to his deep bullpen, so he may use a pinch-hitter for his starting pitcher as soon as the second time that spot comes up. The problem there is that the middle three games of a seven-game series represent the only postseason window in which a team plays three straight games (or five straight if Game 1 is postponed by rain, which is a possibility). Going to your bullpen early and often under NL rules on that many consecutive days is fraught with trouble.
