KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have shut out baseball’s most volatile lineup in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Edinson Volquez pitched six innings and three relievers combined on the 5-0 victory. Alcides Escobar had two doubles and Salvador Perez hit a towering home run off Toronto starter Marco Estrada. Game 2 is this afternoon, also in Kansas City.

CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester heads to the mound for the Chicago Cubs tonight in New York for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Mets. New York will counter with Matt Harvey. The matchup against the NL East champions will be their third of the 2015 playoffs but the first outside the Central Division. Chicago beat Pittsburgh in the Wild Card game and St. Louis in the Division Series.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Brad Keselowski has won the pole for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway. Keselowski turned a lap at 195.503 mph to beat out 10 other Chase drivers in the final round of qualifying. Carl Edwards was second-fastest at 195.454 mph, followed by fellow Chase contenders Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr.

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Brendan Steele remains the leader through two rounds of the Frys.com Open in Napa, Calif. Steele shot a 2-under 70 on Friday for an 11-under total at the midway point, two strokes ahead of Harold Varner III, Will Wilcox, Jhonattan Vegas and Graham DeLaet. Varner missed a 10-foot birdie putt on his last hole, keeping him out of Saturday’s final group in his rookie debut.