World Series 2014: Preview and Top Storylines for Giants vs. Royals Game 4

The Kansas City Royals are two victories away from their first World Series title in 29 years.

After dodging a brief detour to open the series, the Royals bounced back from a Game 1 loss to win the ensuing two games over the San Francisco Giants.

Now a blistering 10-1 this postseason, the Royals can send the Giants to the brink of elimination by triumphing on Saturday night.

The 2-1 deficit prompted manager Bruce Bochy with a difficult choice, but he won't shake up his rotation in light of recent developments. That key decision tops the Game 4 storylines to examine before the crucial game gets underway.

World Series Game 4

When: Saturday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m ET

Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco

TV/Live Stream: FOX/MLB.TV (subscription required)

Madison Bumgarner Must Wait His Turn

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Down 2-1, everyone wanted to know if Bochy would bump up Madison Bumgarner from Game 5 to Game 4, setting the ace up to pitch a possible Game 7. Nope, he's sticking with Ryan Vogelsong.

He explained his polarizing choice, per ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick:

"

It's been a long postseason, and he's had a lot of starts. So we're going to keep things in order and go with Vogey. 

[Bumgarner] is going to say he's available. That's who he is. But it's not like he pushed real hard. If Madison pitched tomorrow, we're still going to have to pitch somebody the next day.

"

Bumgarner has dominated for the Giants this postseason, allowing a measly seven earned runs through 38.2 innings.

Although undoubtedly the team's best pitcher, he has never pitched on three days' rest during his career. It's no certainty that his arm will respond positively to the expedited interim period between starts. 

Then again, Vogelsong isn't even the best option outside of Bumgarner to start Game 4. That distinction belongs to Yusmeiro Petit, who boasts much better stats, highlighted by an incredible Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) clip and nine shutout innings this October.

Player	IP	ERA	WHIP	K/9	BB/9	FIP
Petit	117	3.69	1.02	10.23	1.69	2.78
Vogelsong	184.2	4.00	1.28	7.36	2.83	3.85

Sure, Vogelsong spun a 3.06 ERA at home this season, and he still holds that gaudy 2.16 postseason ERA. How did all that playoff experience turn out for him last time, when he allowed seven hits and four runs through four innings against the St. Louis Cardinals?

Bochy needs to call for Petit to start warming up the second Vogelsong sniffs any trouble. If he performs anything like his last outing, don't even let him pitch three innings.

Can Jason Vargas Deliver Another Solid Start?

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Giants enjoy facing left-handed pitchers, posting a .708 OPS against them during the season compared to a .695 OPS against right-handers. As a result, they'll relish Game 4's matchup against Jason Vargas, an unimposing southpaw who pitches to contact.

Vargas had a solid season for Kansas City, notching a 3.71 ERA and a microscopic 1.97 walks per nine innings. He also, however, was hit hard, as evident by his career-high 23.0 percent line-drive rate. Per FOX Sports: MLB, he also doesn't flourish in interleague action:

Through two starts, the 31-year-old has done his job, allowing two runs in six innings against the Los Angeles Angels and one run over 5.1 frames versus the Baltimore Orioles.

Despite an unappetizing eight strikeouts and four walks, he escaped with limited damage, keeping the game intact for the bullpen.

That's all Kansas City wants from him on Saturday night. To do so, he must circumvent Buster Posey, who feasts on lefties with an .875 OPS. The former MVP actually trails shortstop Brandon Crawford, who shines with an .879 OPS against lefties.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

If it's any consolation, Pablo Sandoval is the one San Francisco slugger who shrinks against southpaws, brandishing a dreadful .199/.244/.319 slash line against them. Also, it's not all negative for Vargas heading into AT&T Park.

Over his career, Vargas has generated fly balls on 42.8 percent of his batted balls. If something is hit to the outfield, chances are one of Kansas City's incredible defenders won't let it drop. That and his 2.73 road ERA in 2014 have Royals fans hopeful that K.C. can take a commanding 3-1 lead.

Beware the Bullpen (and Ned Yost)

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Still think San Francisco's bullpen can match wits with Kansas City? Throughout the postseason, the opposition hasn't stood a chance if Ned Yost received the opportunity to hand his trio of relief pitchers a lead.

Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland have combined to allow three earned runs (one each) through 32.2 innings, collecting 39 strikeouts in the process. 

Although Holland gets the pretty closer distinction, Davis is by far the trio's alpha. The former starter registered a 1.00 ERA and 13.63 strikeouts per nine innings this season, a high standard he has lived up to this October with 14 strikeouts and two walks through 11.2 frames.

Yost nearly blew Game 3 by saving Davis for the eighth inning, instead turning to rookie Brandon Finnegan to extinguish a seventh-inning jam.

He especially can't make that mistake in Game 4, considering Herrera can use a night off after throwing 59 pitches during the past three days.

The manager has strayed out of his comfort zone to let Herrera work more than three outs, but it's time he lets Davis, and even Holland, do the same. Now is not the time for Yost to dangle his hand over the flame and give Finnegan high-leverage situations.

And it's crazy this needs to be said to someone managing in the World Series, but don't let a relief pitcher bat during a one-run game. A move like that is eventually going to come back to haunt Yost.

All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.