World Series Checklist: What the Royals and Giants Must Do to Win

If the San Francisco Giants are going to close out their third World Series in five years, they will have to do it on the road. 

If the Kansas City Royals are going to win their first since 1985, they will have to stage a comeback at Kauffman Stadium starting Tuesday night.

Madison Bumgarner's continued dominance in this postseason helped the Giants to a 3-2 series lead Sunday, and now there are a few things they can do to ensure they finish off the Royals. Meanwhile, a few other things have to change if the Royals are going to find a way to win the next two games.

San Francisco's Checklist

Get a Solid Start from Someone Not Named Bumgarner

Bumgarner has been pretty much impossible to score on in his World Series career, but unfortunately for the Giants, he won't be making another start this year. That means it will be up to Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson to give the team quality outings, which has yet to be done by any Giants starter in this series except for Bumgarner.

In Games 2, 3 and 4, the San Francisco starters—Peavy, Hudson and Ryan Vogelsong—combined to pitch 13.1 innings and allowed 11 earned runs. None of them pitched through six innings. The Giants also lost two of those games and were on the verge of losing the third (Game 4) before the offense exploded for nine runs over a three-inning span to put the game away.

"

Jarrod Dyson says #Royals feel good about situation they're in "because we don't have to face Bumgarner no more."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) October 27, 2014"

If the Giants are going to win one of these next two games, it is likely they will need Peavy, the Game 6 starter, or Hudson in Game 7 to deliver at least a good start.

Keep Finding Ways to Score

The Giants have hit two home runs in this series, yet they have scored 24 runs in five games. Part of the reason for that production is they have made "productive outs" part of their offensive attack. 

Of those two dozen runs, 18 have come without the luxury of a base hit.

"

If you're keeping track at home (& I hope you're not), #SFGiants now up to 18 runs scored this postseason on stuff not known as "hits"

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 27, 2014"

With Buster Posey still without an extra-base hit in the series, power hitter Mike Morse hurting and Kauffman Stadium not all that prone to give up the long ball, the Giants have to continue to score any way they can.

Score Early

The Giants would benefit greatly from scoring early against the Royals starters. The sooner they can knock out a starter and get into the soft part of the Kansas City bullpen, the greater their chances of winning.

That seems like a no-brainer, but it is particularly true with the Royals. While their bullpen is good, it is only so-so before Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland. In fact, manager Ned Yost distrusts some of the arms he has so much in high-leverage situations, three relievers—Tim Collins, Danny Duffy and Jason Frasor—have pitched less than five innings in Kansas City's 13 playoff games.

Another benefit to scoring early: It lessens the chances of the Giants having to face Herrera, Davis and Holland. While the Giants finally scored on Herrera and Davis in Game 5, you don't want to be forced to do so in order to win.

Kansas City's Checklist

Flex the Baserunning Advantage

The Royals were the best baserunning team in the majors this season, but that advantage has been virtually nonexistent in the World Series. They have one stolen base against the Giants and only two attempts. 

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Part of the reason the attempts are down is because the speed guys haven't been on base enough, but when they have been—like in Game 4, when speedster Jarrod Dyson led off the sixth inning with a single—they aren't going. Dyson was eventually erased on a double play without ever attempting to take second base in a tied ballgame. It seemed like the perfect time to steal a base, but Nori Aoki saw only two pitches in the at-bat.

For the Royals to regain their "magic," their speed guys have to get back to running. That should be easier to do in the American League stadium, where Yost can deploy Dyson and Terrance Gore as pinch runners in favorable situations.

"

It's seriously some time for some stolen bases, play real Royals baseball #Royals #TakeTheCrown

— Rich Homie Juan (@Johnsiebels) October 27, 2014"

Get Quality Relief Before HDH

The back end of the Kansas City bullpen is as heralded as they come, but the relievers who come before Herrera, Davis and Holland have been less than reliable.

Rookie Brandon Finnegan looked like he could be the bridge from starter to HDH if needed, but the Giants wrecked him for five runs in one inning in Game 4, the inning that eventually decided the game in San Francisco's favor. And again, Yost doesn't seem to have too much faith in his relievers aside from Finnegan, Herrera, Davis and Holland.

If the Royals are going to keep getting short starts from the rotation, it will be up to one of those forgotten arms to keep the Giants off the board. If not, this series might not see a seventh game.

Get Back to Billy Ball

Not having a designated hitter in the National League park hurt the Royals because it took Billy Butler out of the lineup, and he was 3-for-6 in the first two games in Kansas City. He was used as a pinch hitter in San Francisco only once—in Game 5—despite there being other opportunities in high-leverage spots.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Now, Yost won't have to make that decision because Butler will be back in the middle of his lineup. He will also face Peavy in Game 6, and Butler's history against him is quite favorable. In 33 at-bats before this postseason, Butler hit Peavy to the tune of .424/.486/.727 with three home runs, eight RBIs and a 1.214 OPS. When the two faced off in Game 2 of this series, Butler got him for a run-scoring single in the first inning.

If Butler can continue to produce against Peavy, the Royals will have a strong chance to force a Game 7.

Anthony Witrado covers Major League Baseball for Bleacher Report. He spent the previous three seasons as the national baseball columnist at Sporting News and four years before that as the Brewers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.