WS Game 6 - Giants at Royals
October 27, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (99-78) at KANSAS CITY ROYALS (99-76)
2014 World Series
Game 6 - San Francisco leads series 3-2
First pitch: uesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Kansas City -140, San Francisco +130, Total: 7
The Giants look to capture their third World Series title in five years when they visit the Royals in Game 6 on Tuesday night.
This is no new spot for San Francisco, as it has been the best team in the league over the past half decade, and comes into Game 6 after winning 2-of-3 games at home in which it outscored Kansas City by an 18-7 margin.
Sunday's 5-0 victory was impressive, as starter Madison Bumgarner (9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 8 K's) threw the first shutout in a World Series game since 2003 while being backed by a solid offensive performance from SS Brandon Crawford (2-for-4, 3 RBI).
Meanwhile, 3B Pablo Sandoval had another two hits in the game to give him multiple knocks in four of his past six outings with 4 RBI and four runs. Kansas City had not lost in the postseason until the World Series and now faces elimination after failing to muster much offense in the past two games (4 runs) and could not figure out Bumgarner on Sunday.
The Royals had minimal opportunities to score, going a mere 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position as they tallied just one extra-base hit. Their bullpen also struggled again, allowing three runs (2 ER) in their two innings of work.
While they have been unable to do much offensively, 1B Eric Hosmer continues to be K.C.'s biggest bat with a hit in eight of the past 10 games while recording two homers and 10 RBI in the playoffs.
Looking to clinch this important Game 6 will be RHP Jake Peavy (1-1, 3.68 ERA) as he goes against RHP Yordano Ventura (0-0, 4.42 ERA) who attempts to keep his team’s season alive.
On the year, the Giants are 48-40 (.545) when playing on the road while the Royals are 47-40 (.540) when playing within the confines of Kauffman Stadium.
Overall this season, Kansas City holds a 5-3 record against San Francisco and has done well when playing at home in that time, going 4-1.
Trends show that the Giants are a solid 35-25 (.583) on the road when the Total is 7 to 8.5 runs this year, while the Royals are 16-5 (.762) when playing with a day off in 2014.
The injury situation remains the same for this contest as San Francisco’s OF Angel Pagan (back) and 2B Marco Scutaro (back) are out for the season ,while Kansas City has no significant omissions from its lineup.
Jake Peavy was acquired midseason mainly for his experience and gave the Giants a solid second half in which he went 6-4 with a 2.17 ERA over 12 starts during the team’s playoff push. He also showed amazing control in that time with 1.9 walks per nine innings while giving up a mere three long balls over 78.2 frames (0.34 HR/9).
Overall in his postseason career (8 starts), Peavy has gone 1-4 with a miserable 7.05 ERA and 1.70 WHIP, while pitching two games in the World Series, both of which his team has won, despite him allowing six runs in a total of nine innings. Against the Royals in his career, he is 5-8 (6-9 team record) with a 5.09 ERA and 1.39 WHIP while giving up 10 runs on 16 hits over his past two starts (10 IP).
Plenty of Kansas City hitters have had success against the veteran, with DH Billy Butler (.424 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBI in 33 AB), SS Alcides Escobar (.409 BA, 2 HR, 8 RBI in 22 AB) and OF Alex Gordon (.357 BA, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBI in 28 AB) all knocking him around. On the other hand, 1B Eric Hosmer, 3B Mike Moustakas, C Salvador Perez and OF Lorenzo Cain have combined to go a meager 11-for-57 (.193) with 1 HR, 4 RBI and 10 strikeouts in the matchup.
The Giants’ bullpen is a sparkling 38-15 (.717) this season with a tremendous 2.90 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while successfully saving 51-of-70 (73%) games. Closer Santiago Casilla (0.00 ERA, 4 saves) has allowed just two hits in his nine appearances (7.1 IP) this postseason while going a perfect 4-for-4 in save chances.
Yordano Ventura uses his explosive fastball, which averaged 96 MPH in the regular season, to baffle hitters to the tune of 7.8 K/9 in 2014. His control (3.4 BB/9) lacked somewhat though, but he did not allow too many homers (0.69 HR/9) in his time on the mound.
So far over his first three postseason outings, Ventura has given up seven runs (2 HR) in 18 innings while recording 10 strikeouts. When he faced the Giants in Game 2 of this series, he allowed only two runs on eight hits to San Francisco, while he struck out two batters en route to a no-decision in which his team captured a 7-2 victory. OF Gregor Blanco got to Ventura early with a leadoff home run while both 1B Brandon Belt and 3B Pablo Sandoval hit doubles off the young righty. Meanwhile, C Buster Posey was 1-for-3 with a strikeout against him.
The bullpen for Kansas City is much of the reason why it has made it this far, and overall on the year the relievers are a collective 35-19 (.648) with a 3.28 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while being an amazing 60-for-72 (83%) in save opportunities. Closer Greg Holland (0.90 ERA, 7 saves) has allowed just four hits with 13 strikeouts in his 10 postseason appearances (10 IP).
