World Series: Game Six

Well, like most of the others in this World Series, this game wasn't very entertaining.  Look at the scores in this Series:

Game 1 (in K.C.):  San Francisco 7, Kansas City 1
Game 2 (in K.C.):  Kansas City 7, San Francisco 2
Game 3 (in S.F.):  Kansas City 3, San Francisco 2
Game 4 (in S.F.):  San Francisco 11, Kansas City 4
Game 5 (in S.F.):  San Francisco 5, Kansas City 0
Game 6 (in K.C.):  Kansas City 10, San Francisco 0

Yesterday's game was effectively over in the second inning, as the Royals hammered Giants' starter Jake Peavy, putting up 7 runs in the second inning and ensuring that we'd all be back tonight.  Peavy also lost Game Two.  In two starts, he has pitched a total of 6 1/3 innings and given up 9 earned runs for an ERA of 12.79.

But while the individual games have been mostly boring, the Series has been really close.  The Giants have 27 runs and 58 hits; the Royals have 25 runs and 51 hits.  The Giants are 3-1 in games where they didn't start Jake Peavy.  The Royals are 3-1 in in games where the Giants didn't start Madison Bumgarner.

Tonight the Giants will start 38-year-old Tim Hudson (9-13, ERA of 3.57), while the Royals will respond with 35-year-old Jeremy Guthrie (13-11, ERA of 4.13).  Until this year, neither man had ever pitched in the World Series.  In Game 3 -- which was the closest of the Series -- Guthrie got the better of Hudson.  But we have to assume that both men will on a very short leash tonight.

It is nice that baseball fans are getting a Game Seven -- this will be only the second time since 2002 that the Fall Classic has gone the distance.  And it's nice that, whatever happens tonight, the Giants won their last home game of the year and the Royals fans got to see a hometown victory in Game Six.  But the stakes are enormous.  The Royals last played a Game Seven in 1985 -- and then they didn't get back to the playoffs until this year.  Think how much more painful the last 29 years would have been for Royals fans if Kansas City hadn't won that game.  Franchises like Kansas City don't get that many chances on the big stage, and they need to take advantage of them when they come.  On the other hand, the Giants have the chance to win a third World Series in five years -- something that no National League squad has done since the 1940's.  So they have a lot to play for as well.