The San Francisco Giants are just one win away from lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy after defeating the Kansas City Royals in Game 5, 5-0. Will there be popping champagne bottles inside the Giants’ dugout on Tuesday? Or will the Royals force a winner-take-all Game 7, which many experts have predicted this series to reach?
[sc:MLBArticles ]
San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals 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 0 vs. San Francisco Giants 5
Game 6 – Tuesday, October 28, San Francisco Giants (+128) vs. Kansas City Royals (-138) – view all MLB lines
Game 7* – Wednesday, October 29, San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals
*If necessary
Betting on the San Francisco Giants
[sc:MLB240banner ]Madison Bumgarner gave the Giants the pivotal 3-2 series lead and it’s now Jake Peavy’s turn to try and seal the deal and give San Francisco its third World Series title since 2010 when he starts in Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday. The Giants are 5-2 in their last seven road games.
Peavy matched up with Ventura in Game 2, but lost as the Royals tagged him with five runs in five innings before being pulled out from the game. Peavy gets another crack at the Royals and if he can keep the Royals’ offense in check until the well-rested bullpen – likely to be represented by Yusmeiro Petit, Sergio Romo, and Santiago Casilla – takes over, then the Giants may find themselves in a favorable position going into the late innings. With Bumgarner throwing a complete game in Game 5, all Giants relievers were afforded an extra day of rest, something that Kansas City’s relievers weren’t able to have in this series.
The Giants have also done their assignment at the plate over the last two games of the series. The leadoff duo of Gregory Blanco and Joe Panik hit 6-for-15 during that stretch, while the heart of the lineup consisting of Buster Posey (2-for-6), Hunter Pence (5-for-9), and Pablo Sandoval (4-for-8), have done huge damage on the Royals.
Betting on the Kansas City Royals
Though both the Royals and the Giants are wild card teams, the Cinderella tag fits more on the former, who reached the World Series for the first time since 1985. But is Cinderella’s pumpkin ride about to reach a dead end on Tuesday? The answer lies heavily on the hands of 23-year-old Yordano Ventura, who’ll take the ball for Game 6 of the series, looking to help Kansas City extend the series.
Ventura started for the Royals in Game 2 of the series and pitched way ahead of his age, limiting San Francisco to just two runs on eight hits in five-plus innings of work in their 7-2 win. It was the third win of the Royals this postseason with the rookie on the mound. Ventura, who has a 3.50 ERA across those games, didn’t earn a win in any of those games, however.
Aside from Ventura, the Royals got a lot of help from the offense (scored five runs in the sixth inning) and its terrific trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Greg Holland, who combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief back in Game 2.
Nevertheless, those factors were barely present Sunday as Kansas City’s lineup came up with zero runs, while the usually reliable bullpen coughed up two earned runs. It’s likely that manager Ned Yost will stick to the proven combination of Herrera, Davis, and Holland, instead of any configuration of Brandon Finnegan, Danny Duffy, and Jason Frasor, who have totaled eight earned runs in this World Series thus far.
Writer’s Prediction
The Royals force a Game 7 with a 6-4 win. Create a betting account now and bet on what should be an exhilarating Game 6.
