World Series 2015: Mets vs. Royals Dates, TV Schedule and Prediction

It was stressful, but the Kansas City Royals defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3, in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night to clinch back-to-back AL pennants. 

Their reward? A showdown with the red-hot New York Mets in the 2015 World Series. And boy is this one set to be a classic. The Mets are rolling into the Fall Classic with fully recharged batteries after sweeping the Chicago Cubs, and their pitching is on par with some of the greatest the postseason stage has ever seen. 

The Royals, meanwhile, have been the postseason's steadiest team at the plate. To date, they've knocked in a postseason-best 58 runs—16 more than the Mets. 

So with the matchup set and the World Series set to commence, here's a rundown of when and where you can catch all the action. 

Date	Game	Time (ET)	TV
Oct. 27	Game 1: New York Mets at Kansas City Royals	8:07 p.m.	Fox
Oct. 28	Game 2: New York Mets at Kansas City Royals	8:07 p.m.	Fox
Oct. 30	Game 3: Kansas City Royals at New York Mets	8:07 p.m.	Fox
Oct. 31	Game 4: Kansas City Royals at New York Mets	8:07 p.m.	Fox
Nov. 1	Game 5: Kansas City Royals at New York Mets*	8:15 p.m.	Fox
Nov. 3	Game 6: New York Mets at Kansas City Royals*	8:07 p.m.	Fox
Nov. 4	Game 7: New York Mets at Kansas City Royals*	8:07 p.m.	Fox

Series Preview 

Elsa Garrison/Associated Press

Daniel Murphy's otherworldly home run streak aside, the story for the Mets revolves around pitching. New York has posted a 2.81 team ERA through nine playoff games, which ranks tops among all postseason qualifiers. 

"Over the four games, the Cubs scored eight runs," MLB.com's Mike Bauman wrote. "Only six came against the Mets' starters --Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and [Steven] Matz. Those four combined in this series for a 2.16 ERA. Collectively, they gave up 15 hits in 25 innings, walked six and struck out 29, compiling a WHIP of 0.84."

That kind of sorcery is what makes the Mets a terrifying matchup. Even if their offense isn't churning out runs at a terribly solid clip, the pitching is generally strong enough to mask the offense's shortcomings. 

To wit: The Mets scored just four runs apiece in Games 1 and 2 of the National League Championship Series before scoring a modest five in Game 3 and scorching Chicago for eight in Game 4. 

"That was a pretty impressive four games they played against us," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, per Bauman. "They didn't give us ... they did not let us up for air at any point. Their domination of the early part of the game and their pitching was impressive."

Against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets scored three runs or fewer in four of five games. As a team, the Mets are batting just .235, and yet they're 7-2 in postseason play. Generally that wouldn't be a component of a winning formula. But for this team, it is, thanks to the flame-throwing theatrics of its starting staff. 

According to the Wall Street Journal's Michael Salfino, "The Royals' well-publicized advantage in making contact vanishes against elite heat, as they strike out 8.55 times per nine innings."

Kansas City's offense has been far and away the most consistent of any team during the playoffs, but struggles against powerful arms remain a concern.

That said, the Royals have been lethal against off-speed pitching, as Inside Edge noted: 

In that regard, New York's pitchers will need to be careful. And as CBS Sports' Jon Heyman noted, the Royals have proved time and again over the past two seasons they're for real:

Kansas City has experienced heartbreak in the Fall Classic once before, and a stellar showing at the plate could help wipe 2014 failures from the franchise's collective memory.

However, the Mets' pitching staff resides in an echelon all its own at the moment, and some overpowering stuff from the team's stable of young arms should be enough to give Terry Collins' club the edge.     

Prediction: New York Mets def. Kansas City Royals in seven games