Toronto Blue Jays runner George Bell, center, protests the out call of umpire Dale Ford and gets help from Coach Jimi Williams in the fourth inning of an AL playoff game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 1985, in Kansas City, Mo. Royals third baseman George Brett, left, had tagged Bell as Bell tried to move up on a single by Jays batter Cliff Johnson. The last time Toronto met the Kansas City Royals in the playoffs was a heartbreaker for the Blue Jays. Toronto led the 1985 American League Championship Series 3-1 over the Royals, before Kansas City stormed back to win the best-of-seven set and went on to defeat St. Louis in the World Series. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Cliff Schiappa

TORONTO - The last time Toronto met the Kansas City Royals in the playoffs was a heartbreaker for the Blue Jays. Toronto led the 1985 American League Championship Series 3-1 over the Royals, before Kansas City stormed back to win the best-of-seven set and went on to defeat St. Louis in the World Series. Here are some highlights from that 1985 season:

RAPID RISE — It didn't take long for the Blue Jays to put the growing pains of being an expansion team behind them and become a power in the American League East. Toronto came into the league in 1977, and just seven years later had its first winning season, finishing 89-73 in 1983. They finished second in the AL East in 1984 and entered the 1985 season with lofty expectations.

DRIVE OF '85 — Under the guiding hand of manager Bobby Cox, the Blue Jays surged to a 99-62 record — second-best in Major League Baseball — and won the AL East title by two games over the New York Yankees. With a pitching staff led by ace Dave Steib and an outfield featuring Jesse Barfield, George Bell and Lloyd Moseby, the Jays were the favourites entering the ALCS.

ALMOST THERE — Toronto took a 3-1 stranglehold in the best-of-seven series with a 3-1 victory in Game 4. The Blue Jays scored all three of their runs in the top of the ninth inning, including a two-run double from Al Oliver, to move to within a win of its first World Series appearance. However, the Blue Jays did not get their lead easily. They allowed the Royals to score first in three of the four games and needed late-inning comebacks in two of their victories.

ROYAL RESPONSE — The Royals refused to give up, earning a 2-0 win in Game 5 behind the pitching of Danny Jackson and narrowing the Jays' lead to 3-2 heading back to Toronto. The dagger came in Game 6, when the Royals tied the series behind George Brett's third homer of the series and a two-run sixth inning. Smelling blood, the Royals torched Steib in the deciding Game 7, winning 6-2 in front of a stunned crowd at Exhibition Stadium.

AFTERMATH — Despite losing Cox to the Atlanta Braves the next season, the Jays went on to be a consistent power in the AL East. They won the division five times between 1985 and 1993, losing in the ALCS in 1989 and 1991 before winning back-to-back World Series in 1992 and '93. The team went dormant after that, not threatening for the division title until breaking their 22-year playoff drought in 2015. The Royals, meantime, were banished to baseball obscurity, suffering through a 28-year playoff drought. Over that span they posted losing records in 21 seasons — including four with 100 or more losses. They finally broke out last season, winning the ALCS and losing 4-3 to San Francisco in the World Series.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2015