World Series 2014: Giants vs. Royals Game 1 Pitching Preview, Predictions

Game 1 of the 2014 World Series is just hours away, and if the pitching staffs of the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants deliver similar performances to what we've seen so far in October, we are most certainly in for a treat.

Madison Bumgarner is set to take the mound for the Giants, while James Shields will get the start for the Royals. Both of these pitchers have previous playoff success, but we should still expect to see a showdown between two surging bullpens as well.

While we await these teams to take baseball's grandest stage, let's predict what to expect from both clubs on the mound and how that will translate to the outcome of Game 1.

Pitching Preview and Prediction

Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Bumgarner is a big reason why the Giants hold the second-lowest team ERA (2.18) in the postseason. He's started four times in October, pitching a complete game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and remaining on the mound for at least seven complete innings in his three other contests.

Here's a look at what he's done so far in the postseason:

Opponent	IP	H	ER	SO	ERA
Pirates	9.0	4	0	10	0.00
Nationals	7.0	6	2	6	2.57
Cardinals	7.2	4	0	7	0.00
Cardinals	8.0	5	3	5	1.72
Totals	31.2	19	5	28	1.42

Those numbers are incredibly clutch, and taking the mound at home or on the road doesn't appear to bother this southpaw, as his two shutout performances came in Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

This success is nothing new for Bumgarner. He's been clutch at this time of year for quite some time now. Richard Justice of MLB.com tweeted the veteran's numbers:

Bumgarner's ability to pitch through the seventh inning will be huge for the Giants. Multi-inning reliever Yusmeiro Petit has been outstanding in the playoffs, and San Francisco should be able to save him for a game or two later in the series.

Should the team's starter get through seven innings, we should expect to see Jeremy Affeldt in the eighth and closer Santiago Casilla in the ninth. Neither of these pitchers have allowed a run in October, and they have the ability to close out a difficult Royals lineup.

Kansas City hasn't been bad on the mound as a team in the playoffs. Its 2.93 ERA is third in the postseason; however, much of that is due to a stellar bullpen.

Shields, the team's Game 1 starter, had a bit of a roller-coaster ride through three postseason starts, and his final numbers aren't exactly pretty. Here's a look at what he's done so far in the 2014 playoffs:

Opponent	IP	H	ER	SO	ERA
Athletics	5.0	5	4	6	7.20
Angels	6.0	6	2	6	3.00
Orioles	5.0	10	4	3	7.20
Totals	16.0	21	10	15	5.63

Those aren't very comforting numbers for the Royals starter. He hasn't lasted more than six innings in any contest during the playoffs, and that doesn't bode well against a Giants lineup that has a knack for getting to opposing pitchers early.

Shields is known for his ability to step up in big games; however, when looking at his career postseason starts, it's a wonder why he was given that moniker. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com tweeted the numbers:

Luckily for the Royals, they have some very good relievers in the fold should Shields falter early.

Kelvin Herrera continues to throw very hard. He's difficult to hit for even the most seasoned batters, and his 1.08 postseason ERA is a testament to that. Closer Greg Holland has been just as good, earning six saves en route to a playoff ERA of 1.13. Then there's Wade Davis.

Davis may be the most dominant reliever in this year's World Series. He's pitched in all eight of the Royals' postseason contests, totaling 9.1 innings and allowing five hits and one earned run while walking two and striking out 10 on his way to a 2-0 record and 0.96 ERA.

Just how great is Davis' stuff right now? Take a look at this tweet from MLB:

We should expect a very close contest to kick off the World Series. Bumgarner should remain on the mound longer than Shields, so much of the Royals' success will hinge on solid pitching out of the bullpen.

This one could very well come down to success against starting pitchers before the aforementioned dominant relievers enter the game.

The advantage here goes to the steady Bumgarner, as the Giants notch a road win to take a 1-0 series lead.

Prediction: Giants 4, Royals 3