Giants vs. Royals: Keys for Each Team to Win World Series Game 2

The Kansas City Royals are in a bad spot. 

Nine of the last 10 teams that lost Game 1 of the World Series went on to lose the Fall Classic, as ESPN's Jayson Stark notes. The Royals didn't just end up on the wrong side of the scoreline in the series opener at Kauffman Stadium; they got run over.

Suddenly, manager Ned Yost's club finds itself in a must-win situation. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants are playing with house money, as the team is guaranteed at least a split on the road. From which Royals need to step up to how the Giants should attack Yordano Ventura, here are the keys for Game 2 of the World Series.

Key No. 1 for the Royals: Rely on Butler, Escobar and Gordon

While he's been lights-out since joining the San Francisco Giants, Jake Peavy has a history of falling apart in the postseason. 

In seven playoff outings, the veteran right-hander has posted a 1-3 record with a 7.03 ERA. There are three Kansas City hitters who have noteworthy track records against Peavy: Billy Butler, Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon.

• Butler: .424 (14-for-33), 3 HR, 8 RBI
• Escobar: .409 (9-for-22), 2 HR, 8 RBI
• Gordon: .357 (10-for-28), HR, 5 RBI

In Game 2, the Royals will need one of those right-handed bats to deliver a big hit in an important moment.

Key No. 1 for the Giants: Keep Pablo Sandoval Rolling

Pablo Sandoval owns the World Series. 

In six career games, Sandoval has a .416 average with three home runs, six RBI and 10 hits, per ESPN Stats & Info. In Game 1 of this year's edition, the switch-hitter golfed an RBI-double to right field to drive in the Giants' first run and ended the night 2-for-5 with two RBI. 

Sandoval's success has carried over into the rest of the postseason as well. The third baseman's first-inning double was his 17th postseason extra-base hit, which moved him past Barry Bonds for the club's all-time record, according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

As Sandoval explained, per Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today, he's just "cold blood[ed]" during the playoffs.

"I have the cold blood to pull the trigger when I have to. I don't know why, but those are the moments I enjoy. I like being in October."

If Sandoval pulls the trigger again in Game 2, it will be bad news for the Royals.

Key No. 2 for the Royals: Bring Back the Run Game

The Royals' run game has vanished. 

After racking up steals during the American League Wild-Card Game and the American League Division Series (ALDS), the team has gone quiet on the basepaths. During Kansas City's sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the club stole just one base. The Royals also didn't record any steals in Game 1 of the World Series. 

Considering that just eight of 14 attempted base stealers succeeded against Peavy during the regular season, the right-hander definitely isn't the easiest pitcher to run on. Still, it's worth the risk. The Royals have to jump out to an early lead in Game 2, and a single steal could be all the team needs to spark a rally.

Key No. 2 for the Giants: Ambush Yordano Ventura

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Yordano Ventura has never faced the Giants. 

In their first matchup, it will pay for San Francisco to be aggressive. On the first pitch of an at-bat, opponents hit .338 (27-for-80) against Ventura during the regular season, per Baseball-Reference.com. When the rookie gets ahead, he dismantled the opposition to the tune of a .166 (43-for-259) average. If he gets to 0-2, it's pretty much over. In those situations, the average drops to .055 (3-for-55). 

It's not exactly shocking that Ventura gets better as the count tilts in his favor. Still, those numbers prove that there's no point waiting around against the starter.

Key to the Game: Hand a Lead to the Bullpen

It's no coincidence that the only two teams left, the Giants and the Royals, have two of the best bullpens of all the clubs that made the playoffs. 

In October, the teams rank No. 1 (Giants, 1.69) and No. 3 (Royals, 1.98) in ERA. Since both the Giants and the Royals have electric relief corps, whichever team has the lead in the seventh inning is all but guaranteed to win Game 2. Kansas City's late-innings relievers have been especially dominant. Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland have combined to allow three runs in 23 postseason appearances. 

Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com.

If you want to talk baseball, fins me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.