MLB Playoff Schedule 2014: Vital Viewing Coverage and More for World Series

The American and National League paths to the 2014 World Series have been paved with incredible matchups, but the battle between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants has the potential to be the best series of the playoffs.

The perfect mixture of elite pitching, timely hitting and defensive prowess helped to lead both franchises to the championship series, but only one team will be able to call itself world champions.

Here is all the vital viewing information and schedule for the 2014 World Series and a preview of Game 1.

Game	Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	Watch
1	Tue., Oct. 21	Giants at Royals	8 p.m.	Fox
2	Wed., Oct. 22	Giants at Royals	8 p.m.	Fox
3	Fri., Oct. 24	Royals at Giants	8 p.m.	Fox
4	Sat., Oct. 25	Royals at Giants	8 p.m.	Fox
5*	Sun., Oct. 26	Royals at Giants	8 p.m.	Fox
6*	Tue., Oct. 28	Giants at Royals	8 p.m.	Fox
7*	Wed., Oct. 29	Giants at Royals	8 p.m.	Fox

Live Stream: MLB.tv (requires subscription)

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Breaking Down Game 1

Game 1 of the 2014 World Series begins at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday when the Giants travel to Kansas City to take on the Royals. While neither team was considered a championship favorite, each franchise has played its best baseball in October.

The most important matchup in the opening game of the series is the battle of the starting pitchers. For San Francisco, ace Madison Bumgarner will take the mound Tuesday with his 1.42 ERA in 31.2 innings of playoff action this year. Bumgarner has been lights out all year for the Giants, but he will be going head-to-head with the Royals' top pitcher in James Shields.

Shields may have a 5.63 ERA in 16 innings during the playoffs, but Kansas City has won each of his three starts and has the bullpen to step up in case he doesn’t live up to the expectations. As Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News shared on Twitter, both teams have incredibly talented bullpens:

One of the reasons Kansas City has been so successful has been the team’s appreciation of how far it's made it. No one expected the Royals to run through the American League playoffs and earn a spot in the World Series, but the underdog story is catching on among fans.

When asked about how the team's supporters have reacted to the postseason success, Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas told Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star, “Everyone wants to come say hello to you, and they do, but they’re very respectful. There’s no way to explain it other than that you couldn’t do that in other cities. It makes everything that much more worth it.”

While the blue-collar approach of both teams has added to the intrigue of the matchup, Sporting News insider Jesse Spector doesn’t think this will be an even World Series:

The key in the championship will be which offensive unit is the most consistent. For San Francisco, the team will lean heavily on Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Hunter Pence to produce timely hits and drive in runs when it’s needed the most. All three of the top stars have played well, but the Giants need secondary scoring to hold off Kansas City.

On the other hand, the Royals offensive unit has been much more sporadic, but the team has been able to amass runs when it matters the most. As long as players like Moustakas, Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer step up at the most important times, this year’s World Series will be an instant classic.

The first game of the championship will be like the first round of a great heavyweight boxing match. The opening round is typically a feeling-out process before the action really begins. Expect the Royals and the Giants to play it safe on the field until they feel confident enough to start taking the educated risks that can win a World Series.

With the home crowd on their side, though, Kansas City should have enough firepower in the lineup and pitching prowess in the bullpen to steal Game 1 and put the pressure on San Francisco moving forward.

Predicted Game 1 Score: Kansas City 4, San Francisco 3

*Stats via MLB.com.

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