Blue Jays manager John Gibbons laughed when he was asked the team's secret to winning do-or-die games.

"We play good," Gibbons told reporters at a news conference in Kansas City.

The Jays, who staved off elimination with a big 7-1 win in Toronto on Wednesday, need to beat the Kansas City Royals twice in a row to advance to the World Series. Game 6 is set for tonight at 8 p.m. ET, while a potential Game 7 would go Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

It'll be tough, but after the Blue Jays stormed back to defeat the Texas Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, nobody is counting the team out.

"Maybe we can pull it off again," a smiling Gibbons said.

Here's how the Blue Jays can do it.

Finding the 'real' Price

"Good things are coming, I know they are," said Blue Jays ace David Price after a crushing loss in Game 2.

David Price pitched a gem against the Kansas City Royals in Game 2, until everything fell apart in the 7th inning leaving the ace still searching for his first postseason win. (Matt Slocum/The Associated Press) For Jays fans, those good things need to happen tonight.

Price is one of baseball's elite pitchers and is considered a frontrunner for the American League Cy Young Award this year. But he's winless in his seven career postseason starts (his two career playoff wins came in relief appearances). In Game 2 he was cruising until a defensive miscue triggered a massive 7th inning rally for the Royals.

It's clear nobody is more fed up with this storyline than Price himself.

"I know what I'm capable of doing … I think I just kind of want to do it too bad," Price told reporters ahead of the game.

Admitting he's "overdue," the Jays hurler said he's "ready to change that story tomorrow."

Hit hard, hit smart

Toronto manager John Gibbons doesn't know what exactly makes his team so good in elimination games, but says all they care about is getting back to Kansas City. 1:06 No, your eyes aren't deceiving you: the Royals' Kauffman Stadium is really, really big. That's trouble for the home run-happy Blue Jays, who failed to slug their normal amount of extra-base hits in the opening games.

In Games 1 and 2 the Jays mustered just three runs and had no homers. In Games 3 and 5 at Rogers Centre, by comparison, they scored a whopping 18 runs, with four home runs.

Gibbons blamed those early offensive woes on hitting the ball right at Kansas City defenders.

He said his power-hitting team may try to do a few things differently in the coming games — perhaps trying to shoot singles through gaps in the infield and lay down a timely bunt or two.

But that doesn't mean giving up on the long ball.

"You still have to play to your strengths," Gibbons said.

Shut the Royals down late

The Kansas City Royals have a "tough lineup," both Price and Gibbons admitted, but never is it as dangerous as late in the ball game.

The Royals have scored at least once in the last three innings of every game of the series, including a whopping nine runs in the final three innings of Game 4.

The Blue Jays need to find a way to stop these late game surges. A late solo home run that might be a blemish on a fabulous pitching line at home could easily become the turning point that sends the Royals back to the World Series on the road.

Keep a routine

Sports psychologists recommend athletes keep to their routines ahead of crucial games.

They've already shown they can come back. It's not magic. - Ray Karesky , sports psychologist

For catcher Dioner Navarro, that meant rolling up to a Rogers Centre hot dog stand on his scooter for a pre-game bite ahead of the pivotal Game 5.

Ray Karesky, an Arizona-based psychologist who has worked with the Blue Jays and big league teams, told CBC News the players would be well served to forget the series score.

"Getting up to bat is still getting up to bat. A 95-mile-per-hour fastball is still a 95-mile-per-hour fastball. They've got to focus on that and not the context," Karesky said.

"They've already shown they can come back. It's not magic."

Clutch players

This isn't recommended for all athletes and may run counter to the advice quoted above, but certain Blue Jays just shine under pressure — think Jose Bautista's massive home run in the ALDS, Marcus Stroman's utter fearlessness in big games and Troy Tulowitzki's preternatural ability to deliver clutch playoff hits.

In Kansas City, there will be enormous pressure for the Blue Jays to take advantage of whatever chances they get. Those clutch players will need to step up once again.

Have a backup plan

Here's the scary part for Jays fans. What happens if Price doesn't deliver?

After Game 4's disastrous outing showed just how vulnerable the Jays bullpen is, Gibbons will be expected to pull out all the stops to stay in Game 6. Could that mean keeping R.A. Dickey in the bullpen as backup? With the World Series not starting until next Tuesday, could Marco Estrada deliver an inning of relief if needed? Given Price's struggles, Gibbons and pitching coach Pete Walker have likely gone over the scenarios.

Whatever happens, you won't want to take your eyes off this one.

CBC Toronto will be live-blogging Game 6 beginning around 7 p.m. ET.