World Series 2014: Schedule and Predictions for Royals vs. Giants Game 3

It's hardly a surprise that the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants are tied at one win apiece heading into Game 3 of the 2014 World Series. The Giants have plenty of recent postseason experience, and the Royals came into the World Series with eight straight playoff wins. Naturally, they beat each other up to start the series.

However, any fans expecting tight, tense affairs decided by late-inning heroics are perhaps disappointed. Trading jabs for nine innings has given way to haymaker blows in this series.

The Giants did what they had to in Game 1, earning a 7-1 victory on the road at Kauffman Stadium to bust the Royals' home-field advantage. A three-run first inning, featuring a two-run homer from Hunter Pence, would turn out to be all San Francisco needed in that contest.

Undeterred, the Royals came right back and rode a five-run sixth inning in Game 2 to a 7-2 victory.

The series now heads from the Heartland to the Left Coast for three games, allowing the Giants a chance, however slim, to win the title in front of their home fans. All it will take is three straight wins over one of the hottest postseason baseball teams of all time. It's much easier said than done.

Here is the schedule for Game 3 of the World Series, followed by a preview and prediction.

2014 World Series Game 3 Schedule

Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California

Date: Friday, Oct. 24

Time (ET): 8 p.m.

Series: Tied, 1-1

TV: Fox

Live Stream: MLB.TV (subscription required)

Preview and Prediction

Uncredited/Associated Press

After nearly a full season of baseball, there are countless reams of data to sift through in an attempt to parse out the statistics that will tip a World Series game in favor of one team or another. Of course, past results aren't always predictive of future behavior, a maxim amplified by the do-or-die nature and fishbowl focus of a World Series.

Recent trends run rampant, while personalities and reputations seem to inform the big moments. An in-form, clutch pitcher like Madison Bumgarner couldn't possibly fail in Game 1, right?

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

With this in mind, it's best to look to the managers and starting pitchers to get a sense of the possibilities in this contest.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy is leery of putting too much stock in the home-field advantage his team will enjoy on Friday.

"It's good to be home," he said, via MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. "But we're not going to change how we play the game, and I'm sure they're not either. Every game is important when you're in a Series."

Bochy will send out Tim Hudson to start the ballgame for his team. He may be one of the elder statesmen on the team, but this will be the first World Series start for the right-hander. Jeremy Guthrie will get the starting nod opposite Hudson for the Royals. He's going to be well-hydrated, per CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt:

Here is how their 2014 postseason stats compare:

Player	GP	IP	ER	H	BB	SO	WHIP	ERA
Guthrie	1	5.0	1	3	2	2	1.00	1.8
Hudson	2	13.2	5	14	0	13	1.02	3.29

The Royals, formidable purveyors of small-ball tactics, have bucked trends and utilized a surge in home runs to score key victories this postseason. Should manager Ned Yost determine that the basics of bunting and baserunning will indeed be the difference-maker in the World Series, a few innings against Hudson might his team's best chance to execute, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo:

"

Over the past two years, Hudson allowed 22 steals in 26 attempts, the 10th-worst success rate among big leaguers with at least 200 innings. That has long been his reputation, ever since he gave up steals at an 81-percent clip over his first three years in the big leagues. Hudson did improve against the running game in his prime, but has begun giving up steals on a regular basis in recent seasons.

"

Hudson is well aware of the basepath chaos wrought by the Royals speedsters.

"You obviously have to be concerned with it," Hudson said, via DiComo. "That's one of the big strengths of their ballclub. You have to understand how to control the running game."

The Royals haven't yet stolen a base in this series, but with center fielder Lorenzo Cain hitting well (two hits in Game 2) and the speedy Terrance Gore available on the bench, this could be the game to put some extra pressure on a starting pitcher under the biggest spotlight of his career.

The case for running on Hudson is compelling, but it should be noted that the 16-year veteran hasn't always played with a catcher like Buster Posey, whose howitzer of a throwing arm has cut down many would-be base stealers over the years.

Posey threw out Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar in Game 2 and caught baserunners in the act of stealing 30 percent of the time this season, per Baseball-Reference.com. He's a definite deterrent behind home plate.

Should Hudson turn in a positive performance, Bochy will be in charge of building a new bridge from the starter to the back end of the bullpen, where the indomitable Santiago Casilla waits to close out victories.

The Giants used five pitchers in the fateful sixth inning of Game 2. Jean Machi and Hunter Strickland looked dreadful, and although Tim Lincecum pitched 1.2 shutout innings in relief in Game 2, he may not be safe to use.

Lincecum experienced tightness in his lower back and had to be taken out of the contest. However, he is available for Game 3, per Jim Caple of ESPN.com. 

Look for Yusmeiro Petit to get the call from the bullpen at some point. He's yet to pitch in this series but hasn't allowed a run in nine innings pitched this postseason. Petit has the stamina to pitch multiple innings in a row without diluting the quality of his stuff. Lefty Jeremy Affeldt also continued his strong playoff run by getting two crucial outs in Game 2.

Ed Zurga/Getty Images

The Royals outfield, peerless in its ability to maintain a baseball-free lawn, will need to do a much better job of hitting for the Royals to make it through three games on the road this postseason.

Outfielders Alex Gordon and Nori Aoki are a combined 0-for-14 in the series, while defensive specialist Jarrod Dyson recorded an out in his lone at-bat in Game 2. Only Cain and Gore have managed to make their presence felt on offense so far.

Aoki will be especially crucial to the team's success, as he hits in the No. 2 spot and could derail the Royals' plans of stealing bases and manufacturing runs.

Guthrie pitched quite well in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series and should be able to rather effectively shut down the Giants hitters for another night.

The uncertainty in San Francisco's bullpen could force Bochy to stick with Hudson an inning too long and allow the Royals to dink-and-dunk their way to a couple of extra runs. The Royals' lights-out bullpen, featuring Greg Holland and Kelvin Herrera, will shut the door on the Giants and deliver a road win to Kansas City.
 

Game 3 Prediction: Royals 4-2 Giants