World Series 2014: Royals vs. Giants Game 3 Pitching Preview, Predictions

After the San Francisco Giants earned a pivotal road win in Game 1, the Kansas City Royals were back with a vengeance in Game 2, evening the World Series in front of their home crowd. While both teams notched impressive victories, they did so in different fashions.

The Giants rode the arm of Madison Bumgarner in Game 1. The southpaw went seven strong innings, allowing just three hits and one run en route to a 1.29 ERA. The Royals relied on a strong bullpen to keep their lead in Game 2, as Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland combined to allow just one hit and zero runs over 3.2 innings.

Each team's lineup showed its capability to get to starting pitchers—the Giants did so with tough at-bats, and the Royals fared well with an aggressive approach at the plate. That leaves us with this burning question: Which Game 3 starter is more likely to navigate through the opposing team's treacherous lineup?

As we await the World Series to reconvene, let's preview each team's expected starting pitcher and predict the outcome of Game 3.

Pitching Preview and Prediction

The Giants are sending veteran Tim Hudson to the mound for Game 3 of the World Series. This has plenty of significance, as Hudson is finally making his first start in a championship series at the age of 39. MLB Fan Cave tweeted exactly how long of a wait it's been for the veteran pitcher:

Hudson pitched two games for San Francisco so far in October, and both resulted in wins. His best showing came against the Washington Nationals, as he went 7.1 innings, allowing seven hits and one earned run for a 1.23 ERA. He later pitched against the St. Louis Cardinals but didn't fare as well, allowing seven hits and four earned runs over 6.1 innings for a 5.68 ERA.

Giving up a total of 14 hits in those two appearances could be an issue in Game 3. The Royals lineup can instantly become red hot following a crucial base hit. This becomes a likely scenario, as Hudson will provide Kansas City with plenty of those opportunities.

Jeremy Guthrie is set to get the start for the Royals on Friday. He only lasted 5.0 innings during his lone postseason appearance but fared well, allowing just three hits and one run in that span for a 1.80 ERA. The one concern about that performance was his pitch count—it reached 94 rather quickly.

Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun tweeted Guthrie's final stat line from his first postseason appearance:

The Giants lineup is comprised of players who are more than capable of remaining patient at the plate and staying alive for an extended period of time. This rapidly increases the pitch count of opposing pitchers. James Shields reached 71 pitches in just three innings in Game 1, and Yordano Ventura hit 87 pitches through 5.1 innings of work in Game 2.

There's reason to believe neither of these starters will last much longer than five innings in the ensuing contest. The Royals appear likely to get a slew of early hits off Hudson, and the Giants lineup will max out Guthrie's pitch count in short order.

Game 3 is likely to come down to bullpen play.

San Francisco's bullpen has been very solid throughout the postseason. Jeremy Affeldt and closer Santiago Casilla continue to be lights out, and Sergio Romo is showing some great stuff as well. Yusmeiro Petit should be expected to continue his prowess as the team's go-to multi-inning reliever if he's needed.

Although, Kansas City has the upper hand in this department. Herrera, Davis and Holland continue to be virtually unhittable during postseason action. In fact, the three have combined to allow just three earned runs in 29.1 playoff innings.

On Wednesday, Herrera earned the victory, and with that, the Royals bullpen entered the MLB history books, via ESPN Stats & Info:

If the Game 3 score is even when the bullpens spring into action, it's very tough to bet against Kansas City in that situation. Expect the ensuing contest to remain close in the early innings, followed by the Royals notching a road win due to some stout relief pitching and late-inning heroics at the plate.

Prediction: Royals 5, Giants 4