Giants Look To Close Out Series; Royals Look To Stay Alive
Can 23-year-old rookie Yordano Ventura help keep Kansas City’s hopes alive.
The 2014 World Series returns to Kansas City for Game 6 Tuesday as the San Francisco Giants will look to take home a third championship in five years.
Meanwhile, the hometown Kansas City Royals will simply strive to stay alive and force a decisive Game 7 on Wednesday night.
First pitch at Kauffman Stadium scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET.
After winning two straight to take control of the World Series once more, San Francisco (11-4, 5-2 road) arrives back in Kansas City with a shot at yet another World Series championship. This one hasn’t been as easy as the past two.
Having swept the Detroit Tigers in 2012 and beaten the Texas Rangers in five games in 2010, Bruce Bochy’s side has been forced into a close contest this postseason, a contest most expect to be decided by a winner-takes-all seventh game.
The Giants’ aim on Tuesday is to put paid to that notion.
Kansas City (10-3, 5-1 home) managed to take one of three in San Francisco this past weekend, ensuring the return trip to Missouri.
Ned Yost’s side will enter Tuesday’s game as the favorite, but will face an arduous battle to take the trophy, particularly with rumors circulating that they could see the dominant Madison Bumgarner in Game 7, albeit out of the pen.
The Royals need only look back at their own history to garner confidence though. The 1985 Royals trailed 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals in that year’s World Series before lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy in seven games.
With the Kansas City faithful willing the team on, the Royals will look to stay alive on Tuesday, something the game’s pitching matchup could favor.
Pitching matchup
Kansas City will once more turn to rookie pitcher Yordano Ventura (0-0, 4.42 ERA).
The hard-throwing 23-year-old pitched 5 1/3 innings in Game 2, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out a pair. While he has yet to earn a decision, the Royals are 4-0 this postseason when he takes the mound, including 3-0 when he starts.
Ventura was 6-7 with a 3.12 ERA at Kauffman Stadium. He blew a save in his first postseason appearance (out of the bullpen) at the cavernous stadium, before Game 2’s solid performance.
San Francisco will counter with the veteran Jake Peavy (1-1, 3.68 ERA).
Peavy was roughed up as he started Game 2, yielding four runs on six hits through five innings of play. He walked a pair while only striking out one, before being handed the loss.
The 33-year-old right-hander hasn’t had much cause for celebration against the Royals in the past. Prior to last Wednesday’s game, he had posted a 5-7 record with a 4.97 ERA in 14 starts against the Royals. Those numbers were even more horrific at Kauffman Stadium, where he was 1-5 with a 6.42 ERA.
The 2007 Cy Young winner – who has had an inflated ERA in each of his four postseason campaigns (2005, 2006, 2013, 2014) – will be looking for some rare good fortune when he takes to the mound Tuesday night. A win in Game 6 of the World Series would go a long way to erasing all that has come before.
Will Hunter Pence and the Giants take home a third title in five years?
Injury report
Neither club faces any new injury worries heading into Game 6.
Betting report
Below you’ll find significant trends and observations relating to this matchup.
San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals odds for 10/28/2014
With the series back in Missouri, Kansas City (-140) opened as the favorite over San Francisco (+130) on the moneyline.
After earning a win in Game 5, the advantage seems to be with the Giants heading forward. Historically, when a World Series has been tied 2-2, the team winning Game 5 has won the championship 27 times. The team losing Game 5 has won the series on 14 occasions.
The total opened at 7.
So far this series, the over has paid out three times and the under twice. Two of the last three games have resulted in the total going under.
With Peavy and Ventura starting, Game 2 saw the total go over.
Four of the last six games between the clubs at Kauffman Stadium have resulted in the total going over.
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