2014 WS: Royals vs. Giants

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Death by a thousand short, jabby swings.

[Frayed Knot]

And the rout is on.
So if this game ever actually ends (I'm figuring around 1:47 AM at this point) it looks like SF will have tied things up 2-2

[MFS62]

Petit has not only been a good pitcher in the post season, but a good luck charm, too.

Later

[Guest d'Kong76]

Kansas City at San Francisco
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 26, 2014
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
SportsDirect Inc.

The San Francisco Giants have evened the World Series and will send ace Madison Bumgarner to the mound when they host the Kansas City Royals in Sunday�s Game 5. Bumgarner has allowed just one run over 22 innings of three career World Series starts and perplexed Kansas City hitters while winning Game 1. The Royals will start James Shields, who was shelled in Game 1 as part of a miserable string of postseason performances.

The Giants produced an 11-4 victory in Game 3 as Hunter Pence had three hits and three RBIs while Pablo Sandoval and Joe Panik each drove in two runs. The defeat was only the second this postseason for Kansas City and the players are highly aware that this has become a best-of-three series with only one more game left to be played in San Francisco. �If we win (Sunday), we have the ability to go home and basically win one of two and we�re world champions,� first baseman Eric Hosmer told reporters after Saturday�s game.

TV:
8:07 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Royals RH James Shields (1-1, 7.11 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (3-1, 1.40)

Shields has had a rough postseason and was shelled for five runs and seven hits in three-plus innings in Game 1. Royals manager Ned Yost refused to get down on Shields and said he continues to think his next outing will be a breakthrough start. �I know his intensity, I know his work ethic, I know his competitiveness,� Yost said at his Saturday press conference. �I know that as much as a lot of you guys think that these guys are lights out perfect every time they go out there, they�re not. They�re human beings.�

Bumgarner held the Royals to one run and three hits in seven innings in Game 1 and has 33 strikeouts against six walks in the postseason. He was considered to pitch on short rest in Game 4 before being held back for Game 5 and said he feels fresh despite the heavy workload. �I feel as good as I�ve felt all year right now, which is fortunate for me,� Bumgarner said in his Saturday press conference. �It usually don�t work out that way but for whatever reason, everything started clicking in the last two months and I�ve been feeling really good.�

WALK-OFFS:
1. Giants manager Bruce Bochy became the fifth manager to win 40 postseason games with the Game 4 win.
2. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon is 2-for-16 in the World Series and is batting .186 in the postseason.
3. San Francisco C Buster Posey hasn�t homered this postseason but his RBI on Saturday was the 21st of his playoff career, matching Barry Bonds� franchise record.

[Zvon]

Man, the Giants were teeing off late last night.
Tonights a toss up. But whoever wins tonight, loses game 6.
I don't ask for much. Just more baseball, please.

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: Man, the Giants were teeing off late last night.

They're still just "teeing off" with mostly singles. Last night they just happened to have a bunch of them: 16 hits, 13 singles.
Fortunately for them, it's not like KC is hitting for much power either.

[Centerfield]

Two thoughts while watching tonight's game:

1. We will need a right handed power hitter in the NLCS next year against Bumgarner.

2. James Shields does not look at the plate while delivering a pitch.

[Frayed Knot]

Centerfield wrote: 1. We will need a right handed power hitter in the NLCS next year against Bumgarner.

Hell, I'd settle for a guy who can make contact against him.

2. James Shields does not look at the plate while delivering a pitch.

He doesn't do it as much as that Japanese reliever on the BoSox a couple of years ago (not Uehara but the other one) but, yeah, I noticed that for the first time in his last outing.

[Zvon]

Centerfield wrote: Two thoughts while watching tonight's game: 1. We will need a right handed power hitter in the NLCS next year against Bumgarner. 2. James Shields does not look at the plate while delivering a pitch.

1.lol. I love the sentiment

2. I noticed

Another gritty game, not so well played by the Royals. A little sloppy in the field. A little dead at the dish. All Bumguy so far.

[metirish]

Bumgarner is a joy to watch

[Zvon]

metirish wrote: Bumgarner is a joy to watch

He is. Makes KC look like little leaguers at the plate.

[Zvon]

107 pitches after 8. He is fine tuned.

[Zvon]

This is one a those times if you're SF you want to get your pitcher right back out there ASAP. Some extra runs can't hurt..

wow! 2 run triple makes it 4-0.

[Zvon]

SF takes game 5 behind Bumgarner's masterful performance. My Royals have their backs against the wall. I hope Royals fans don't have to see SF celebrate on their home turf. That can be a traumatic experience.

[Edgy MD]

Bumgarner vs. Mets: 3-0, 1.24, 29 IP, 33 SO, 8 BB.

Fifteen hits, and no homers.

[Frayed Knot]

Dodger fans have got to be tearing their hair out wondering why their ace lefty can't pitch that way in October.

[Edgy MD]

You've got to think they want him at least available for relief duty in a potential Game Seven.

[Edgy MD]

And, um, that National Anthem. Is this going to be MLB's Janet Jackson moment, where they stop being taken for fools and start putting some thought into this?

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: You've got to think they want him at least available for relief duty in a potential Game Seven.

The Bum says he's ready to start game 7.

[Edgy MD]

I've got to think starting games five and seven is much much harder than starting four and seven. Apart from the two days rest, I've got to imagine the adrenaline is telling you "No problem, piece of cake," but you've got a wall coming at you. Heck, you're probably still riding a little on the adrenaline of three days ago.

[Guest d'Kong76]

San Francisco at Kansas City
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
SportsDirect Inc.

The Kansas City Royals hope returning home will revitalize their title chances, while the San Francisco Giants aim to clinch their third crown in five seasons when the teams clash in Game 6 on Tuesday. San Francisco has scored the last 15 runs while winning two straight games to take a 3-2 lead and is looking to become the second National League team in history to win three titles in a five-year span. The St. Louis Cardinals � 1942, �44, �46 � are the lone team to do so.

The Royals and Giants split two games in Kansas City to begin the series, but the Royals believe they have an edge when playing at home. �We like our stadium and the way the dimensions of our field works,� first baseman Eric Hosmer told reporters. �We definitely enjoy going back home, and we�re just going to take it a game at a time and worry about Game 6.� San Francisco's Hunter Pence has gone 9-for-19 with a homer, six runs scored and five RBIs to put his name in the MVP conversation along with Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner.

TV:
8:07 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Giants RH Jake Peavy (1-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Royals RH Yordano Ventura (0-0, 4.42)

Peavy was charged with four runs in five-plus innings while losing Game 2 to drop to 1-4 with a 7.05 ERA in eight career postseason starts. Manager Bruce Bochy continues to profess his confidence in Peavy, who maintains he�s not feeling apprehension due to his postseason struggles. �I�m really excited about the opportunity, I really am,� Peavy said in a press conference. �I never thought it would happen any other way. That�s not who I am.�

Ventura received a no-decision in Game 2 when he gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old rookie has been Kansas City�s best starter in the postseason with a fastball that often tops 100 miles per hour. �He�s not your typical rookie,� Hosmer told reporters. �He�s absolutely fearless out there. He has confidence in himself and his pitches, and when he�s firing strikes � just like he was the other day � he�s pretty tough to hit.�

WALK-OFFS:
1. Royals DH Billy Butler (3-for-7) will be back in the lineup with the contest in the American League ballpark.
2. San Francisco 3B Pablo Sandoval is 8-for-22 with three multi-hit performances in the series.
3. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon is 2-for-20 - two doubles - in the series and just 8-for-47 in the postseason.

[Frayed Knot]

Was thinking about how reluctant the Phils have been about trading away any of their aging stars over the last few years the Phillies -- and yet the one guy they did opt to deal was Hunter Pence!!!

It was the July 31 trading deadline 2012 when they sent him to SF for a package of catcher Tommy Joseph (still in minors), P Seth Rosin (now back with the Phils org after flitting between four different orgs), and Nate Schierholtz (a 4th OF who had 66 ABs for Philly before moving on). I realize that his lack of a big contract at the time made him easier to deal than some of the others, but it all seems so odd in retrospect.

[Lefty Specialist]

They traded him because they were incapable of moving those other guys with the ponderous contracts. Ruben Amaro- not a genius.

[Edgy MD]

This broadcast, from Harold and Joe to Erin, is atrocious. I feel like Harold Reynolds is on a mission to make me stupider about baseball pitch by pitch. Tom Verducci, who I used to like or at least respect as a writer, brings zero to the table. Buck is by far the best of the 3-man booth and that says a lot because normally I can't stand him. And Erin, oh Erin. Sending it down to her for a "report" that tells us, hey, first row seats are being scalped for a lot of money! just illustrates why it is so unnecessary to have "sideline" guys (or gals) at a baseball game. The FX pregame is a clusterbomb as well. They did Burkhart no favors putting him up on set with the douchetastic crew of Kapler, Swisher, Ortiz and Thomas. Lose Kapler and Swisher and it might be watchable. What makes all this seem all the worse is that TBS' coverage was generally excellent. (Pedro, in particular, is fantastic, and fantastically entertaining-- he's like Baseball Barkley with a perm.)

Let's give some credit here: if being a baseball Barkley means never finding a topic to be too sensitive to dive into head first, Keith has been bringing the Barkley for years.

[Zvon]

I'm in the mood to be stunned.

1-0 Royals

[Zvon]

Wow, KC didn't score on that. And the guys safe. Wacky stuff.

[Zvon]

Whoa, Peavys done. That's a bit hasty considering there is a tomorrow for SF.

2-0 in the 2nd.

[Frayed Knot]

Royals aren't exactly smacking the ball - but they're all dropping in.

[Zvon]

Peavy could have done that.

4-0 KC

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: Royals aren't exactly smacking the ball - but they're all dropping in.

A lot of that in this series and I am enjoying it.