World Series 2014 Predictions: Full Schedule and Picks for Fall Classic

Just when it seemed the MLB playoffs were becoming more predictable, the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants changed all of that Sunday night.

Both teams battled back and forth in the late innings before Kolten Wong delivered a walk-off homer to even up the National League Championship Series. That was a stark difference from his most memorable moment in the last playoffs: being picked off in Game 4 of the World Series.

In the American League Championship Series, the Kansas City Royals have now moved to 6-0 in their first postseason since 1985. The Royals continue to get clutch hitting out of their lineup, and the Baltimore Orioles weren't able to find an answer in Camden Yards.

Before Game 3 of both series, here's a look at the World Series schedule and predictions for who will make it to the Fall Classic.

Game	Date	Time (ET)	TV
GM 1	Tuesday, Oct. 21	TBD	Fox
GM 2	Wednesday, Oct. 22	TBD	Fox
GM 3	Friday, Oct. 24	TBD	Fox
GM 4	Saturday, Oct. 25	TBD	Fox
GM 5 *	Sunday, Oct. 26	TBD	Fox
GM 6 *	Tuesday, Oct. 28	TBD	Fox
GM 7 *	Wednesday, Oct. 29	TBD	Fox

NLCS Prediction

After one of the best games thus far this postseason, the Cardinals were somehow able to come away with a 1-1 series heading to the West Coast. But the joy in the clubhouse wasn't enough to forget about the potential loss of a veteran.

During the sixth inning of the second contest, Yadier Molina was forced to leave due to a strained oblique. The team's unequivocal leader boasts a .290 average with three home runs during his playoff career.

Having his bat in the lineup is always a huge benefit, but what he means to the pitching staff is also crucial. Fox Sports: MLB takes a look at just how important having him as a batterymate is for the Cardinals staff:

No timetable has been given for Molina at this time, so it's easier to focus on the players we know will make a difference.

One of those players is Madison Bumgarner. Sure, he isn't an everyday player for the Giants, but the team's ace is one of the best bets in the postseason on the mound. In fact, he's setting records in the playoffs due to his excellence away from San Francisco. Richard Justice of MLB.com noted the brilliance of MadBum on the road during his career:

But it's not just pitching away from San Francisco that makes Bumgarner special, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times points out:

Given their lineup, with the likes of Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence, the Giants have the firepower to deal with the Cardinals rotation. For two teams with plenty of experience in the playoffs, it will be the Giants staff that pushes them over the top.

If Tim Hudson can hold down the fort in Game 3, look for the rest of the rotation to close the door. It is an even year, after all, so the magic for San Francisco seems like a given in the postseason.

Prediction: Giants win in six games.

ALCS Prediction

Prior to the ALCS getting underway, I made the prediction that the Orioles would make their first World Series since 1983. Given the 2-0 start for the Royals, it seems like a good time to rethink that pick.

Heading to Kansas City for the next three games, the Royals have a chance to close it out at home. The series has gotten so out of hand that Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson noted he doesn't believe there will be another trip to Camden Yards, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com:

"

No, sir, I don't, and I don't think [the Orioles] think that, either.

I'll just tell you this, man: If we win Game 3, it's going to be hard for them to sit there and look themselves in the mirror and say, 'We can win the next four.' That's tough to do, man. Everything must click. I'm just being honest.

If we take Game 3, I guarantee there are going to be multiple people in that clubhouse over there saying, 'Man, there's no way we're going to beat these guys four games in a row.'

"

Those are pretty confident remarks from Dyson, but the Royals have proved they can back up the talk.

Kansas City has outlasted every team it has faced, taking down the Oakland Athletics before sweeping the Los Angeles Angels. Equipped with speed on the basepaths and a stout rotation and bullpen, the Royals did the same to the Orioles in Baltimore.

Much of that success has been due to clutch hitting in the seventh inning or later. Of the Royals' 38 runs in the playoffs, 15 of them have come during crucial time in the six games. Here's a look at some of the most significant bats in that lineup during the postseason:

Player	BA	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	SB
Lorenzo Cain	.370	8	10	0	4	2
Eric Hosmer	.435	5	10	2	7	0
Alex Gordon	.261	3	6	1	8	3
Mike Moustakas	.318	6	7	4	5	0

Needless to say, the Royals have the upper hand at the plate and a pitching staff that does enough to propel them to the World Series. That lineup will continue to excel as Kansas City finally makes its way to the Fall Classic.

Prediction: Royals win in five games.

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