The San Francisco Giants roughed up the Kansas City Royals’ relievers in Game 4 to tie the World Series up at two games apiece heading into a crucial Game 5. Tonight, each team’s ace will kick off what is now effectively a three-game series. The Royals are set to start the struggling James Shields, while the Giants counter with the magnificent Madison Bumgarner, who has been brilliant in the Giants’ postseason run.
Can Big Game James break free from his slump or will MadBum continue his winning ways? Read on for our preview of this potentially series-altering Game 5.
For more excellent Sunday night action, check out our preview of this week’s NFL Sunday Night Football clash, Green Bay vs. New Orleans.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants Betting Preview
Series Schedule & Results
Game 1 – Tuesday, October 21, San Francisco Giants 7 vs. Kansas City Royals 1
Game 2 – Wednesday, October 22, San Francisco Giants 2 vs. Kansas City Royals 7
Game 3 – Friday, October 24, Kansas City Royals 3 vs. San Francisco Giants 2
Game 4 – Saturday, October 25, Kansas City Royals 4 vs. San Francisco Giants 11
Game 5 – Sunday, October 26, Kansas City Royals (+148) vs. San Francisco Giants (-163); total 6.5 – view all MLB lines
Game 6 – Tuesday, October 28, San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals
Game 7* – Wednesday, October 29, San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals
*If necessary
Betting on the Kansas City Royals
So, Kansas City’s bullpen is human after all. After pitching 7.2 scoreless innings in the last two ball games – both Royals wins – the bullpen finally got lit up in Game 4, as they were responsible for eight of the team’s 11 earned runs in an 11-4 defeat.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Rookie Brandon Finnegan gave up five of those eight runs while Tim Collins didn’t fare much better. Finnegan has had his moments in this postseason, but after his showing in Game 4, manager Ned Yost will likely ride his top three relievers – Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland – if Game 5 remains competitive, especially with a travel day coming up.
If recent starts are any indication, that bullpen will likely be needed again as James Shields goes back to the mound. It certainly hasn’t been a pretty postseason for Big Game James, who owns an awful 7.11 playoff ERA. He only lasted three innings and gave up five runs in Game 1 at home.
Including his last three regular season starts, Shields has allowed three or more runs and at least one home run in six of his last seven starts.
Betting on the San Francisco Giants
After all the talk about the Royals’ relievers, it was the San Francisco bullpen’s turn to impress in Game 4. With starter Ryan Vogelsong knocked out after giving up four runs in just 2.2 innings, five Giants relievers combined for 6.1 scoreless innings, three of which coming from swingman Yusmeiro Petit.
The Giants may not need a whole lot of innings from their ‘pen tonight with ace Madison Bumgarner back on the mound. MadBum has been absolutely dealing in this postseason, going at least seven innings in all five of his postseason starts, with a sparkling 1.40 ERA to boot. He threw seven strong innings of one-run ball in the Giants’ 7-1 Game 1 at Kansas City.
The Giants have won four out of Bumgarner’s five playoff starts, with the lone loss coming against the Nats. Despite Bumgarner pitching seven strong innings with just two earned runs, the Giants couldn’t bring home a single run while he was in the game.
The big Giants bats have been hitting well enough in this World Series to suggest that runs may not be an issue this time around. Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence knocked in five of the team’s playoff-high 11 runs in Game 4 to continue their sizzling series at the plate. Sandoval is six-for-18 with four RBI, while Pence, who hit a big two-run homer against Shields in Game 1, is seven-for-15 with five RBIs.
Writer’s Prediction
The Royals finally have a big game from James Shields, while they manufacture enough runs out of Bumgarner and the Giants pen to take a 3-2 series lead to Kansas City. Create a betting account today and get in on the remaining World Series action.
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