Five factors for Game 4 of World Series
SAN FRANCISCO – After two blowouts in Kansas City, Game 3 of the World Series finally saw the Royals and San Francisco Giants produce a taut game befitting the teams' similar pedigrees.
But just before this World Series finally takes on an identity, Saturday night's Game 4 may send everything askew again.
How? Let's explore:
Kelvin Herrera may not be available: Herrera, the first and perhaps most important part of the Royals' lethal bullpen endgame, threw 27 pitches in Friday's Game 3, struggling initially with command and throwing many high-stress pitches to clean up starter Jeremy Guthrie's mess, and then his own. "Kelvin came in and first thing he did was seek out (pitching coach) Dave Eiland and tell him he feels really good today," Yost said Saturday. "So our response to that was, 'Well, let's go out, play catch, and let's see how you feel and make a decision.' But he feels better than I expected him to." Yet, Herrera also suffered a flexor strain in his right forearm during the AL Division Series. Keeping him down a night and having him fresh for Game 5 may be the best course of action. With a 2-1 Series lead, the Royals can afford this luxury.
The Giants will be desperate: Sure, they overcame two-game deficits in the 2012 NLDS and NLCS, but we've never seen this look from these Giants in the World Series. Never did they trail in 2010, when they vanquished the Texas Rangers in five games, and in 2012, when they swept the Detroit Tigers. How will that effect tonight's proceedings? Figure on a very short leash for starter Ryan Vogelsong. Yusmeiro Petit will be considered more an early-inning necessity than late-inning luxury. Set-up man Sergio Romo – who appeared in the sixth inning in Game 3 – figures to be summoned earlier than usual again. In short, manager Bruce Bochy's sense of urgency will only increase as the Giants' straits are all the more dire. "Everybody's available," he said Saturday. "It's the postseason, and the leash may be a bit shorter."
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The Royals' speedsters may stay idled: In taking a 2-1 Series lead, Kansas City's managed to leverage its strengths well: Getting just enough out of the starting pitcher and handing a late-inning lead to its bullpen. But there's one element that's been missing of late and that's speed. The Royals are 0-for-2 in stolen-base attempts against the Giants, and stole just one base in three attempts in the ALCS after swiping five in a three-game ALDS sweep of the Angels. Their already pedestrian offense has struggled in the World Series – a .213 batting average and .306 on-base percentage – so opportunities have been scarce. But Yost hinted at some gamesmanship on the Giants' part for Game 3: Wet basepaths. "Yes, I thought it was a little wet around first," he said. "(Mike Moustakas) dove back into first base and he came up extremely muddy. I thought it was a little damper than normal, yeah." Giants manager Bruce Bochy denied instructing field staff to keep the hose running a bit longer. Of course, the Kauffman Stadium grounds crew has stopped watering the dirt to ensure a nice fast track in anticipation of a Game 6 in Kansas City.
Michael Morse could loom large – again: Morse was inactive for the wild-card game and the NL Division Series because of an oblique strain, and then hit the most important homer of the Giants' postseason in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series. Friday, his Game 3 RBI double nearly felled Herrera and the Royals. With lefty Jason Vargas starting for the Royals, Bochy did not start Morse, opting for Juan Perez to supplant Travis Ishikawa. Morse, Bochy said, has not started in left field in two months and the wind in left field at AT&T Park provides challenges. But Bochy could potentially ambush Yost in the middle innings and pinch hit him against a tiring Vargas before Yost can get a reliever ready. And if that's the case …
Madison Bumgarner could grab a bat: Hey, why not? With Perez starting and Morse likely getting the first big pinch-hitting spot, that leaves the Giants with infielders Matt Duffy and Joaquin Arias and backup catcher Andrew Susac as right-handed bats off the bench. Susac likely won't bat as a hedge against Buster Posey getting injured. Duffy and Arias hit zero home runs in a combined 268 plate appearances. Bumgarner hit four in 78 plate appearances. So what if it's late in the game, and double-switches or other moves have compromised the bench further, and a lefty reliever like Brandon Finnegan or Tim Collins are on for the Royals? Bochy could do worse than send up Bumgarner and hope his strapping ace runs into one.