Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack
Some NFL trends with Week 9 coming up this weekend.......
-- Saints covered only three of their last 15 road games.
-- New England covered 13 of last 17 when getting points.
-- Redskins are 2-7 vs spread in last nine non-divisional games.
-- Oakland is 2-5 in last seven games as a double digit underdog.
-- Baltimore covered one of last six divisional road games.
-- Colts covered eight of last nine as a road favorite.
**********
Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but......
13) College Football Playoff selection committee announced its first-ever top 25 rankings on Tuesday with Miss State, Florida State, Auburn and Ole Miss the four teams. This will play itself out, but the initial reaction is that strength of schedule is going to be stressed and thats going to make future Septembers more fun to watch, as teams will be forced to upgrade their non-league schedules.
12) Baylor is 13th in the rankings; upgrade your schedule. Bears were favored by 34+ points in their first three games this season.
11) Redskin-Cowboy game was highest-rated Monday night game in four years.
10) That said, did ESPN even show Redskin owner Daniel Snyder once? Jerry Jones had an in-game interview, had to be on camera 25 times, but no sign of Snyder that I can remember-- they were more interested in showing Colt McCoy's dad.
9) ESPN did show Tony Wyllie, the Redskins' PR guy, pulling McCoy away from an ESPN Desportes reporter, grabbing him by the jersey. Apparently the TV business is also a contact sport-- there is a protocol to when/where players do interviews and Tony Wyllie takes that protocol seriously. Don't mess with him.
8) Jackass update: Bears' DE Lamarr Houston tore his ACL while celebrating a sack of the Patriots' backup QB when New England was winning by 25 points. He is the second NFL player to do that this season. It is not smart.
7) Dodgers, Padres, Rockies, Diamondbacks all have new general managers, which means the Giants are only NL West team that hasn't changed GMs this year.
6) San Diego hired scouting director Logan White away from the Dodgers-- he has a very good reputation as a talent evaluator. San Diego seems to be doing smart things as far as beefing up their scouting department-- its the best way for smaller market teams to become competitive, and then stay that way.
5) Hawai'i fired basketball coach Gib Arnold Tuesday, not the best thing to do on October 28, but an indication the NCAA may come calling soon. An assistant coach also got the boot. Have a nice season, fellas.
4) We all have worked for bosses we don't like much; imagine how hard it must be for an NFL QB, if he doesn't get along with his head coach or offensive coordinator?
3) San Antonio 101, Dallas 100-- Tremendous game. Seriously. Someday, when the NBA cuts back to 64 or 68-game schedule, you'll see a lot more games like this, when both sides have fresh legs more often.
2) Marv Albert is 73 years old and still going strong calling NBA games. When FOX resorts to showing Erin Andrews interviewing a couple who just had a baby during a World Series game, they're telling me to put the Spurs game on. In the 4th inning.
1) Grant Hill is now teamed with Albert and Greg Anthony on TNT; does every Duke alum have to be on television? When does Greg Koubek get his TV gig?
Some NFL trends with Week 9 coming up this weekend.......
-- Saints covered only three of their last 15 road games.
-- New England covered 13 of last 17 when getting points.
-- Redskins are 2-7 vs spread in last nine non-divisional games.
-- Oakland is 2-5 in last seven games as a double digit underdog.
-- Baltimore covered one of last six divisional road games.
-- Colts covered eight of last nine as a road favorite.
**********
Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but......
13) College Football Playoff selection committee announced its first-ever top 25 rankings on Tuesday with Miss State, Florida State, Auburn and Ole Miss the four teams. This will play itself out, but the initial reaction is that strength of schedule is going to be stressed and thats going to make future Septembers more fun to watch, as teams will be forced to upgrade their non-league schedules.
12) Baylor is 13th in the rankings; upgrade your schedule. Bears were favored by 34+ points in their first three games this season.
11) Redskin-Cowboy game was highest-rated Monday night game in four years.
10) That said, did ESPN even show Redskin owner Daniel Snyder once? Jerry Jones had an in-game interview, had to be on camera 25 times, but no sign of Snyder that I can remember-- they were more interested in showing Colt McCoy's dad.
9) ESPN did show Tony Wyllie, the Redskins' PR guy, pulling McCoy away from an ESPN Desportes reporter, grabbing him by the jersey. Apparently the TV business is also a contact sport-- there is a protocol to when/where players do interviews and Tony Wyllie takes that protocol seriously. Don't mess with him.
8) Jackass update: Bears' DE Lamarr Houston tore his ACL while celebrating a sack of the Patriots' backup QB when New England was winning by 25 points. He is the second NFL player to do that this season. It is not smart.
7) Dodgers, Padres, Rockies, Diamondbacks all have new general managers, which means the Giants are only NL West team that hasn't changed GMs this year.
6) San Diego hired scouting director Logan White away from the Dodgers-- he has a very good reputation as a talent evaluator. San Diego seems to be doing smart things as far as beefing up their scouting department-- its the best way for smaller market teams to become competitive, and then stay that way.
5) Hawai'i fired basketball coach Gib Arnold Tuesday, not the best thing to do on October 28, but an indication the NCAA may come calling soon. An assistant coach also got the boot. Have a nice season, fellas.
4) We all have worked for bosses we don't like much; imagine how hard it must be for an NFL QB, if he doesn't get along with his head coach or offensive coordinator?
3) San Antonio 101, Dallas 100-- Tremendous game. Seriously. Someday, when the NBA cuts back to 64 or 68-game schedule, you'll see a lot more games like this, when both sides have fresh legs more often.
2) Marv Albert is 73 years old and still going strong calling NBA games. When FOX resorts to showing Erin Andrews interviewing a couple who just had a baby during a World Series game, they're telling me to put the Spurs game on. In the 4th inning.
1) Grant Hill is now teamed with Albert and Greg Anthony on TNT; does every Duke alum have to be on television? When does Greg Koubek get his TV gig?
MLB
Dunkel
San Francisco at Kansas City
The Giants look to bounce back from last night's 10-0 loss and come into tonight's contest with a 5-1 record in their last 6 games following a defeat. San Francisco is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115). Here are all of today's MLB picks.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29
Game 913-914: San Francisco at Kansas City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Hudson) 13.112; Kansas City (Guthrie) 12.225
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115); Under
MLB
Long Sheet
Wednesday, October 29
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAN FRANCISCO (99 - 79) at KANSAS CITY (100 - 76) - 8:05 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 100-76 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 35-22 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
KANSAS CITY is 10-3 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in October games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 20-7 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
KANSAS CITY is 18-8 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game this season.
KANSAS CITY is 96-73 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 73-51 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 73-53 (+10.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 11-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in playoff games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 58-42 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KANSAS CITY is 54-38 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 27-18 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
GUTHRIE is 21-13 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 21-12 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 29-20 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 20-13 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 19-11 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 99-79 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-41 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-12 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-8 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 99-79 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 88-76 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-49 (+14.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 22-10 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-29 (+22.4 Units) against the money line in road games after getting shut out since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 64-53 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-42 (+6.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HUDSON is 52-31 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 51-30 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 6-3 (+3.1 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)
TIM HUDSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
HUDSON is 3-5 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.17 and a WHIP of 1.323.
His team's record is 6-6 (-4.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-1.4 units)
JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
GUTHRIE is 1-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.49 and a WHIP of 1.679.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Wednesday, October 29
Hudson is 0-5, 6.80 in his last eight starts, 1-4, 3.53 in 12 postseason starts, 0-1, 4.76 in one start against the Royals this season.
Guthrie is 4-0, 1.78 in his last five starts, 1-0, 2.70 in two playoff starts, 1-0, 3.60 in his one start against the Giants this season.
Giants won World Series in 2010 and 2012; they're 11-5 this postseason, 5-3 on the road- they scored 5+ runs in all three series wins, 2-2-0 in losses.
Royals are 11-3 this postseason, 3-3 in last six games with five one-run wins. They've won six of last seven home games.
Hudson 20-15.................8-35 first inning
Guthrie 21-13.................12-34 first inning
Since 1982, 11 World Series have been tied 2-2; weird stat is the team that won Game 5 went to win series only four of 11 times....the last eight times a home team won Game 6 to force Game 7, they also won Game 7.
MLB
Wednesday, October 29
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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8:07 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
San Francisco is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games
Dunkel
San Francisco at Kansas City
The Giants look to bounce back from last night's 10-0 loss and come into tonight's contest with a 5-1 record in their last 6 games following a defeat. San Francisco is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115). Here are all of today's MLB picks.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29
Game 913-914: San Francisco at Kansas City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Hudson) 13.112; Kansas City (Guthrie) 12.225
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115); Under
MLB
Long Sheet
Wednesday, October 29
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAN FRANCISCO (99 - 79) at KANSAS CITY (100 - 76) - 8:05 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 100-76 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 35-22 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
KANSAS CITY is 10-3 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in October games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 20-7 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
KANSAS CITY is 18-8 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game this season.
KANSAS CITY is 96-73 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 73-51 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 73-53 (+10.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 11-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in playoff games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 58-42 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KANSAS CITY is 54-38 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 27-18 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
GUTHRIE is 21-13 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 21-12 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 29-20 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 20-13 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 19-11 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 99-79 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-41 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-12 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-8 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 99-79 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 88-76 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-49 (+14.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 22-10 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-29 (+22.4 Units) against the money line in road games after getting shut out since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 64-53 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-42 (+6.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HUDSON is 52-31 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 51-30 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 6-3 (+3.1 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)
TIM HUDSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
HUDSON is 3-5 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.17 and a WHIP of 1.323.
His team's record is 6-6 (-4.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-1.4 units)
JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
GUTHRIE is 1-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.49 and a WHIP of 1.679.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Wednesday, October 29
Hudson is 0-5, 6.80 in his last eight starts, 1-4, 3.53 in 12 postseason starts, 0-1, 4.76 in one start against the Royals this season.
Guthrie is 4-0, 1.78 in his last five starts, 1-0, 2.70 in two playoff starts, 1-0, 3.60 in his one start against the Giants this season.
Giants won World Series in 2010 and 2012; they're 11-5 this postseason, 5-3 on the road- they scored 5+ runs in all three series wins, 2-2-0 in losses.
Royals are 11-3 this postseason, 3-3 in last six games with five one-run wins. They've won six of last seven home games.
Hudson 20-15.................8-35 first inning
Guthrie 21-13.................12-34 first inning
Since 1982, 11 World Series have been tied 2-2; weird stat is the team that won Game 5 went to win series only four of 11 times....the last eight times a home team won Game 6 to force Game 7, they also won Game 7.
MLB
Wednesday, October 29
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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8:07 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
San Francisco is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games
World Series: 5 things we know entering Game 7
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A second inning that included a franchise-postseason-record seven runs and eight hits guided the Kansas City Royals to a 10-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in Game 6 on Tuesday, tying the World Series at three games apiece.
The Royals will try Wednesday night to become the ninth team in last 11 opportunities to win Games 6 and 7 at home to capture the championship. No road team has won Game 7 since 1979 when the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Orioles in Baltimore.
Here are five things we know about the World Series entering Game 7:
--5. Teams need breaks to win the World Series, and the Royals are getting plenty. Game 6 loser Jake Peavy said he doesn't remember breaking three bats in an inning and not recording an out on any of them, as occurred in the second inning Tuesday.
However, Kansas City manager Ned Yost said he is confident his team can keep finding the breaks in Game 7.
"I've never been so convicted about a game in my life, seriously," he said. "I've never felt more strongly about us winning a ballgame than I did this game. I had a strong, a very, very strong feeling that whoever won Game 6 was going to win Game 7. But we have to wait until tomorrow to see if my theory is correct."
--4. Giants right-hander Tim Hudson needs a big game Wednesday. He made his World Series debut in Game 3 and lost a 3-2 decision. Hudson finished the regular season 9-13 with a 3.57 ERA, but he lost his last four decisions. His ERA in September was 8.72, and he is 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in the postseason. He says he is ready for the big stage.
"You should be," he said. "This is why you play the game. This is why you compete. This is why you work so hard throughout your career to get to hopefully have this opportunity. I'm going to have some fun. I've waited a long time for this."
--3. The Giants used five pitchers in Game 6, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy still feels as if he has the tools to win Game 7. He used five pitchers, but only Jean Machi pitched more than two innings. He did not use his top four relievers: left-handers Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt and right-handers Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla. Bochy also has ace lefty Madison Bumgarner available to pitch a couple of innings after having two days' rest. Bumgarner is 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in the World Series.
"You hate to have a game go like (Game 6 did), but no question it does allow you to do some things you probably normally wouldn't do," Bochy said. "So we're loaded tomorrow, I feel, and they are, too. So we're just looking forward to the game."
--2. The Royals' bullpen is rested. Yordano Ventura pitched seven innings of shutout ball, and relievers Jason Frasor and Tim Collins pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. That means that Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland have another day of rest heading into Game 7.
"To get us through seven innings, and then Frasor coming in and Collins getting through that, that keeps all of our big guns fresh and ready to go tomorrow," Yost said. "That was the intent once we scored the seven runs (in the second inning) to try to get through that game without using (Brandon) Finnegan, without using Herrera, without using Holland and Wade Davis."
Jeremy Guthrie, the Game 3 winner who will start Game 7, will aim for a six-inning effort to hand the ball to Kansas City's talented relief corps.
--1. The last team to win Game 6 at home to force a Game 7 and then lose the World Series was the Red Sox in 1975. Boston won Game 6 in the bottom of the 12th inning on Carlton Fisk's famous home run before falling 4-3 to the Cincinnati Reds in Game 7. Despite the history stacked up against them, the Giants are loose and confident.
"There's no other team I would rather be on for Game 7," said designated hitter Michael Morse, who is in his first year with the Giants. "They're ready for this. We knew it wasn't going to be easy today. Ventura came out and pitched a really good game; you have to tip your hat to him. Tomorrow we're going to go out and do what we do best, and that's play good baseball. I don't have a confidence meter. I can't tell you how confident, but this is the same thing we've been doing. This is awesome. It's been a great ride, and we're going to be ready for tomorrow."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A second inning that included a franchise-postseason-record seven runs and eight hits guided the Kansas City Royals to a 10-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in Game 6 on Tuesday, tying the World Series at three games apiece.
The Royals will try Wednesday night to become the ninth team in last 11 opportunities to win Games 6 and 7 at home to capture the championship. No road team has won Game 7 since 1979 when the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Orioles in Baltimore.
Here are five things we know about the World Series entering Game 7:
--5. Teams need breaks to win the World Series, and the Royals are getting plenty. Game 6 loser Jake Peavy said he doesn't remember breaking three bats in an inning and not recording an out on any of them, as occurred in the second inning Tuesday.
However, Kansas City manager Ned Yost said he is confident his team can keep finding the breaks in Game 7.
"I've never been so convicted about a game in my life, seriously," he said. "I've never felt more strongly about us winning a ballgame than I did this game. I had a strong, a very, very strong feeling that whoever won Game 6 was going to win Game 7. But we have to wait until tomorrow to see if my theory is correct."
--4. Giants right-hander Tim Hudson needs a big game Wednesday. He made his World Series debut in Game 3 and lost a 3-2 decision. Hudson finished the regular season 9-13 with a 3.57 ERA, but he lost his last four decisions. His ERA in September was 8.72, and he is 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in the postseason. He says he is ready for the big stage.
"You should be," he said. "This is why you play the game. This is why you compete. This is why you work so hard throughout your career to get to hopefully have this opportunity. I'm going to have some fun. I've waited a long time for this."
--3. The Giants used five pitchers in Game 6, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy still feels as if he has the tools to win Game 7. He used five pitchers, but only Jean Machi pitched more than two innings. He did not use his top four relievers: left-handers Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt and right-handers Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla. Bochy also has ace lefty Madison Bumgarner available to pitch a couple of innings after having two days' rest. Bumgarner is 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in the World Series.
"You hate to have a game go like (Game 6 did), but no question it does allow you to do some things you probably normally wouldn't do," Bochy said. "So we're loaded tomorrow, I feel, and they are, too. So we're just looking forward to the game."
--2. The Royals' bullpen is rested. Yordano Ventura pitched seven innings of shutout ball, and relievers Jason Frasor and Tim Collins pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. That means that Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland have another day of rest heading into Game 7.
"To get us through seven innings, and then Frasor coming in and Collins getting through that, that keeps all of our big guns fresh and ready to go tomorrow," Yost said. "That was the intent once we scored the seven runs (in the second inning) to try to get through that game without using (Brandon) Finnegan, without using Herrera, without using Holland and Wade Davis."
Jeremy Guthrie, the Game 3 winner who will start Game 7, will aim for a six-inning effort to hand the ball to Kansas City's talented relief corps.
--1. The last team to win Game 6 at home to force a Game 7 and then lose the World Series was the Red Sox in 1975. Boston won Game 6 in the bottom of the 12th inning on Carlton Fisk's famous home run before falling 4-3 to the Cincinnati Reds in Game 7. Despite the history stacked up against them, the Giants are loose and confident.
"There's no other team I would rather be on for Game 7," said designated hitter Michael Morse, who is in his first year with the Giants. "They're ready for this. We knew it wasn't going to be easy today. Ventura came out and pitched a really good game; you have to tip your hat to him. Tomorrow we're going to go out and do what we do best, and that's play good baseball. I don't have a confidence meter. I can't tell you how confident, but this is the same thing we've been doing. This is awesome. It's been a great ride, and we're going to be ready for tomorrow."
MLB
Wednesday, October 29
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Series Betting Preview: Giants at Royals
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San Francisco Giants at Kansas City Royals (-132, 7)
Kansas City avoided elimination with a convincing victory and either the Royals or visiting San Francisco Giants will be crowned champions when Game 7 of the World Series is held on Wednesday. San Francisco was in position to win the series in Game 6, but the Royals racked up 15 hits and rolled to a 10-0 victory. Giants ace Madison Bumgarner is available for relief duty in the finale as San Francisco looks to win its third title in five seasons.
The Giants have struggled to get strong outings from their starters when Bumgarner doesn’t pitch and Game 6 starter Jake Peavy lasted just 1 1/3 innings while being charged with five runs. Kansas City has won two of its three home games in the series as the lineup has a different feel to it when it includes designated hitter Billy Butler. “Billy is a big presence in that lineup offensively for us,” Royals manager Ned Yost said in a press conference. “Right in the middle of the lineup, he’s been a proven run producer and it’s just a big comfort level having him back in there.”
TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, FOX
LINE: The Royals opened as -125 home favorites for the winner-take-all Game 7 and have been bet to -132. The total for the game is set at 7.0.
WEATHER REPORT: It should be a beautiful night for baseball in Kansas City with clear skies and temperatures in the low 50's in the forecast.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Hudson (0-1, 3.72 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 2.70)
Hudson took the loss in Game 3 when he gave up three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings in his first career World Series start. He has walked just one hitter in 19 1/3 postseason innings while striking out 15. Hudson has found victories hard to come by in the postseason as he is 1-4 with a 3.53 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts).
Guthrie defeated Hudson in Game 3 when he allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He said he is ready to the task of pitching in a Game 7 as Kansas City looks for its first title since 1985. “I feel like I’m in as good of shape and in as good position to pitch well as I’ve been all season long,” Guthrie said in his Tuesday press conference. “And that’s a good place to be, to not have to worry about being fatigued or not have to worry about any lingering soreness.”
TRENDS:
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Kansas City.
* Giants are 1-7 in the last eight meetings in Kansas City.
* Over is 4-0 in Giants last four World Series road games.
* Royals are 5-0 in their last five games as a home favorite.
CONSENSUS: Over 63 percent of wagers are backing the Royals at home. Over 67 percent of the total wagers are on the over 7.0.
Wednesday, October 29
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World Series Betting Preview: Giants at Royals
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San Francisco Giants at Kansas City Royals (-132, 7)
Kansas City avoided elimination with a convincing victory and either the Royals or visiting San Francisco Giants will be crowned champions when Game 7 of the World Series is held on Wednesday. San Francisco was in position to win the series in Game 6, but the Royals racked up 15 hits and rolled to a 10-0 victory. Giants ace Madison Bumgarner is available for relief duty in the finale as San Francisco looks to win its third title in five seasons.
The Giants have struggled to get strong outings from their starters when Bumgarner doesn’t pitch and Game 6 starter Jake Peavy lasted just 1 1/3 innings while being charged with five runs. Kansas City has won two of its three home games in the series as the lineup has a different feel to it when it includes designated hitter Billy Butler. “Billy is a big presence in that lineup offensively for us,” Royals manager Ned Yost said in a press conference. “Right in the middle of the lineup, he’s been a proven run producer and it’s just a big comfort level having him back in there.”
TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, FOX
LINE: The Royals opened as -125 home favorites for the winner-take-all Game 7 and have been bet to -132. The total for the game is set at 7.0.
WEATHER REPORT: It should be a beautiful night for baseball in Kansas City with clear skies and temperatures in the low 50's in the forecast.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Hudson (0-1, 3.72 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 2.70)
Hudson took the loss in Game 3 when he gave up three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings in his first career World Series start. He has walked just one hitter in 19 1/3 postseason innings while striking out 15. Hudson has found victories hard to come by in the postseason as he is 1-4 with a 3.53 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts).
Guthrie defeated Hudson in Game 3 when he allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He said he is ready to the task of pitching in a Game 7 as Kansas City looks for its first title since 1985. “I feel like I’m in as good of shape and in as good position to pitch well as I’ve been all season long,” Guthrie said in his Tuesday press conference. “And that’s a good place to be, to not have to worry about being fatigued or not have to worry about any lingering soreness.”
TRENDS:
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Kansas City.
* Giants are 1-7 in the last eight meetings in Kansas City.
* Over is 4-0 in Giants last four World Series road games.
* Royals are 5-0 in their last five games as a home favorite.
CONSENSUS: Over 63 percent of wagers are backing the Royals at home. Over 67 percent of the total wagers are on the over 7.0.
Game 7 of WS: 'A gift for everyone'
October 29, 2014
In Kansas City, Game 7 of the World Series conjures up memories of Bret Saberhagen's brilliance, a St. Louis meltdown and the only Royals championship in 1985.
The flashbacks in San Francisco aren't nearly as sweet. There was Willie McCovey's game-ending lineout that was oh-so-close to being a Series-winning hit in 1962 and another loss 40 years later by Barry Bonds & Co. to the Angels.
Be it Babe Ruth, Jack Morris or Mariano Rivera, the moments created in an all-or-nothing game resonate through baseball history.
Who knows what's on deck Wednesday night when Giants visit the Royals in the 37th winner-take-all game in Series history?
''A Game 7 in the World Series is a gift for everyone,'' Giants outfielder Hunter Pence said. ''It's pretty special. It's like incredibly entertaining for fans, incredibly entertaining for the world and the game of baseball.''
It can also be heartbreaking. Just ask McCovey.
He came up with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the Giants trailing Ralph Terry and the Yankees 1-0 in 1962. McCovey hit a screaming liner that went right to second baseman Bobby Richardson to give the Yankees the Series. Had the ball been a foot or two in either direction, San Francisco would have won it all.
''I think about the line drive, yes,'' McCovey said during the 2012 Series. ''Can't get away from it.''
That dramatic ending came two years after Terry lost Game 7 on a game-ending homer by Pittsburgh's Bill Mazeroski.
''I was looking at this as a chance to redeem myself,'' Terry said. ''Otherwise, I might have been remembered as one of the great losers of all time.''
San Francisco's other Game 7 of the World Series was much more anticlimactic. The Giants had a 5-0 lead in Game 6 that year against the Angels, just eight outs away from a title. But Anaheim scored three in the seventh and three in the eighth to win it.
John Lackey then shut down Bonds and the Giants in a 4-1 victory in Game 7.
The Royals' only Game 7 followed a similar pattern, but with a much happier result for them. Kansas City rallied to win Game 6 against St. Louis with two runs in the bottom of the ninth with help from a missed call at first base by umpire Don Denkinger.
The Cardinals never recovered and lost 11-0 in Game 7 behind a five-hitter by Saberhagen.
A look at some of the other memorable seventh games of the World Series:
OH, BABE!
The strangest ending might have been in 1926. Babe Ruth drew a two-out walk in the ninth off fellow future Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander with the Yankees trailing the Cardinals 3-2. With Bob Meusel at the plate, Ruth broke for second, but the great slugger was thrown out by Bob O'Farrell. It's the only time the final out in a Series came on a caught stealing.
---
HE WHO HESITATES
The long World Series drought for the Red Sox would have been much shorter than 86 years if not for three Game 7 losses along the way. The first of those came in 1946 against the Cardinals when the game was tied at 3 in the bottom of the eighth. Enos Slaughter was on first with two outs when Harry Walker hit a line drive to center. Leon Culberson threw the ball to shortstop Johnny Pesky, who hesitated for a second as Slaughter dashed home with the deciding run.
---
SLIPPING AWAY
The Tigers won a laugher in Game 6 to force a seventh game against St. Louis in 1968, but had to get through October ace Bob Gibson to win it all. Gold Glove center fielder Curt Flood slipped chasing a fly ball in the seventh and the two-out misplay broke a scoreless tie. A five-hitter by Mickey Lolich on two days' rest did the rest in the Tigers' 4-1 win.
---
A MORRIS MASTERPIECE
The 1991 Series was tense all the way through with three extra-inning games and five one-run contests between Atlanta and Minnesota. The Twins forced the seventh game on Kirby Puckett's game-ending homer in the 11th inning of Game 6 and the tension didn't let up one bit the next night. John Smoltz and Jack Morris were locked in a classic duel as the game was scoreless despite each team loading the bases with one out in the eighth. Smoltz left in the eighth but Morris kept going through the 10th and ended up the winner when Gene Larkin hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom half.
---
DESERT DRAMA
Just like this year's Series, a Game 6 rout by the home team forced a decisive seventh game and it turned into a classic as the Yankees tried to beat Arizona for a fourth straight title in 2001. Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson all took the mound that night in the desert. Rivera had a 2-1 lead going into the ninth but got in trouble after his throwing error on a bunt attempt. Tony Womack tied the game with a double. That set the stage for Luis Gonzalez's broken-bat RBI single over a drawn-in infield that ended the Yankees' dynasty.
October 29, 2014
In Kansas City, Game 7 of the World Series conjures up memories of Bret Saberhagen's brilliance, a St. Louis meltdown and the only Royals championship in 1985.
The flashbacks in San Francisco aren't nearly as sweet. There was Willie McCovey's game-ending lineout that was oh-so-close to being a Series-winning hit in 1962 and another loss 40 years later by Barry Bonds & Co. to the Angels.
Be it Babe Ruth, Jack Morris or Mariano Rivera, the moments created in an all-or-nothing game resonate through baseball history.
Who knows what's on deck Wednesday night when Giants visit the Royals in the 37th winner-take-all game in Series history?
''A Game 7 in the World Series is a gift for everyone,'' Giants outfielder Hunter Pence said. ''It's pretty special. It's like incredibly entertaining for fans, incredibly entertaining for the world and the game of baseball.''
It can also be heartbreaking. Just ask McCovey.
He came up with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the Giants trailing Ralph Terry and the Yankees 1-0 in 1962. McCovey hit a screaming liner that went right to second baseman Bobby Richardson to give the Yankees the Series. Had the ball been a foot or two in either direction, San Francisco would have won it all.
''I think about the line drive, yes,'' McCovey said during the 2012 Series. ''Can't get away from it.''
That dramatic ending came two years after Terry lost Game 7 on a game-ending homer by Pittsburgh's Bill Mazeroski.
''I was looking at this as a chance to redeem myself,'' Terry said. ''Otherwise, I might have been remembered as one of the great losers of all time.''
San Francisco's other Game 7 of the World Series was much more anticlimactic. The Giants had a 5-0 lead in Game 6 that year against the Angels, just eight outs away from a title. But Anaheim scored three in the seventh and three in the eighth to win it.
John Lackey then shut down Bonds and the Giants in a 4-1 victory in Game 7.
The Royals' only Game 7 followed a similar pattern, but with a much happier result for them. Kansas City rallied to win Game 6 against St. Louis with two runs in the bottom of the ninth with help from a missed call at first base by umpire Don Denkinger.
The Cardinals never recovered and lost 11-0 in Game 7 behind a five-hitter by Saberhagen.
A look at some of the other memorable seventh games of the World Series:
OH, BABE!
The strangest ending might have been in 1926. Babe Ruth drew a two-out walk in the ninth off fellow future Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander with the Yankees trailing the Cardinals 3-2. With Bob Meusel at the plate, Ruth broke for second, but the great slugger was thrown out by Bob O'Farrell. It's the only time the final out in a Series came on a caught stealing.
---
HE WHO HESITATES
The long World Series drought for the Red Sox would have been much shorter than 86 years if not for three Game 7 losses along the way. The first of those came in 1946 against the Cardinals when the game was tied at 3 in the bottom of the eighth. Enos Slaughter was on first with two outs when Harry Walker hit a line drive to center. Leon Culberson threw the ball to shortstop Johnny Pesky, who hesitated for a second as Slaughter dashed home with the deciding run.
---
SLIPPING AWAY
The Tigers won a laugher in Game 6 to force a seventh game against St. Louis in 1968, but had to get through October ace Bob Gibson to win it all. Gold Glove center fielder Curt Flood slipped chasing a fly ball in the seventh and the two-out misplay broke a scoreless tie. A five-hitter by Mickey Lolich on two days' rest did the rest in the Tigers' 4-1 win.
---
A MORRIS MASTERPIECE
The 1991 Series was tense all the way through with three extra-inning games and five one-run contests between Atlanta and Minnesota. The Twins forced the seventh game on Kirby Puckett's game-ending homer in the 11th inning of Game 6 and the tension didn't let up one bit the next night. John Smoltz and Jack Morris were locked in a classic duel as the game was scoreless despite each team loading the bases with one out in the eighth. Smoltz left in the eighth but Morris kept going through the 10th and ended up the winner when Gene Larkin hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom half.
---
DESERT DRAMA
Just like this year's Series, a Game 6 rout by the home team forced a decisive seventh game and it turned into a classic as the Yankees tried to beat Arizona for a fourth straight title in 2001. Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson all took the mound that night in the desert. Rivera had a 2-1 lead going into the ninth but got in trouble after his throwing error on a bunt attempt. Tony Womack tied the game with a double. That set the stage for Luis Gonzalez's broken-bat RBI single over a drawn-in infield that ended the Yankees' dynasty.
Hudson vs. Guthrie in WS Game 7
October 29, 2014
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - After long waits to make their World Series debuts, Tim Hudson and Jeremy Guthrie will get another opportunity to pitch Wednesday night.
This time, everything is on the line.
Guthrie, who had never reached the postseason before this year, will be on the mound for Kansas City in Game 7. Once again, he will face the 39-year-old Hudson, who finally made it to the World Series with San Francisco after 16 seasons in the majors.
''I'm no different than anybody else. As a kid, you think about it. As a big leaguer, you think about it,'' said Hudson, set to become the oldest Game 7 starter in Series history. ''You wonder if you're going to have an opportunity to do it. Sixteen years in the big leagues, I'm finally getting that chance. I can't wait to get out there and have some fun.''
The 35-year-old Guthrie helped pitch Royals to a 3-2 win last Friday night in San Francisco, giving them a 2-1 lead in the Series. But after the Giants rallied to win the next two at home, the teams returned to Kansas City with the Royals needing a victory to force Game 7.
They got it - a 10-0 rout - behind a resurgent offense that relentlessly peppered Giants starter Jake Peavy and reliever Yusmeiro Petit, and a brilliant start by rookie Yordano Ventura.
''A lot of guys had this weird feeling it would come to this,'' Giants outfielder Hunter Pence said afterward, ''and here we are.''
Guthrie allowed two runs over five innings in his World Series debut, and Hudson was nearly as sharp, allowing three runs on four hits while pitching into the sixth. But when the Giants were unable to score a tying run off the Kansas City bullpen, Hudson was stuck with the loss.
Now, he has a chance to bag the biggest win possible.
''I mean, obviously I'm going to go as deep as I can,'' Hudson said. ''Hopefully I can give a quality six, seven innings out there and turn it over to those guys in the `pen.''
That bullpen could be even stronger than normal with ace Madison Bumgarner, who won Game 1 and pitched a shutout in Game 5, available for a relief stint Wednesday night.
Bumgarner has allowed one run over 16 innings in his two starts against Kansas City.
''We'll see where he's at and how he's doing out there,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''I can't tell you exactly how far he could go or how many pitches he could go. I think you read him and see how he's doing out there.''
Asked what his pitch limit might be Wednesday night, Bumgarner gave a predictably preposterous answer.
''I said maybe 200. No, I don't know. I don't even know if I'm going to be called on. But if you are, as long as you're getting outs and you're not hurting ...,'' he said.
First things first, though: Bumgarner is excited for his pal Hudson.
''There couldn't be a better story for Huddy. I know he's going to be ready,'' Bumgarner said.
As for playing a Game 7, ''if you want to be a baseball player, that's what you think about.''
The Royals will also have a fresh bullpen after Ventura's sublime start. Kansas City manager Ned Yost has even said his star trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and All-Star closer Greg Holland would be available to pitch two innings apiece if needed.
''That keeps all of our big guns fresh and ready to go,'' Yost said.
The Royals also will have a bit of history on their side.
When they were last in the World Series in 1985, they also faced a 3-2 deficit returning home against St. Louis. They won Game 6, made famous by umpire Don Denkinger's blown call at first base, and then took Game 7 in an 11-0 rout for their only championship.
The Giants, meanwhile, had a 3-2 lead this year for the third time in franchise history. Just like in 1924 and 2002, they lost Game 6. Both of those years, they lost Game 7 as well.
''We'll take any win. Close, blowout, any win,'' Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain said. ''Guys stepped up and we definitely needed everyone in our lineup. We needed to swing the bats and have a good outing from our starter. We need that again. I hope the entire team gets hot.''
October 29, 2014
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - After long waits to make their World Series debuts, Tim Hudson and Jeremy Guthrie will get another opportunity to pitch Wednesday night.
This time, everything is on the line.
Guthrie, who had never reached the postseason before this year, will be on the mound for Kansas City in Game 7. Once again, he will face the 39-year-old Hudson, who finally made it to the World Series with San Francisco after 16 seasons in the majors.
''I'm no different than anybody else. As a kid, you think about it. As a big leaguer, you think about it,'' said Hudson, set to become the oldest Game 7 starter in Series history. ''You wonder if you're going to have an opportunity to do it. Sixteen years in the big leagues, I'm finally getting that chance. I can't wait to get out there and have some fun.''
The 35-year-old Guthrie helped pitch Royals to a 3-2 win last Friday night in San Francisco, giving them a 2-1 lead in the Series. But after the Giants rallied to win the next two at home, the teams returned to Kansas City with the Royals needing a victory to force Game 7.
They got it - a 10-0 rout - behind a resurgent offense that relentlessly peppered Giants starter Jake Peavy and reliever Yusmeiro Petit, and a brilliant start by rookie Yordano Ventura.
''A lot of guys had this weird feeling it would come to this,'' Giants outfielder Hunter Pence said afterward, ''and here we are.''
Guthrie allowed two runs over five innings in his World Series debut, and Hudson was nearly as sharp, allowing three runs on four hits while pitching into the sixth. But when the Giants were unable to score a tying run off the Kansas City bullpen, Hudson was stuck with the loss.
Now, he has a chance to bag the biggest win possible.
''I mean, obviously I'm going to go as deep as I can,'' Hudson said. ''Hopefully I can give a quality six, seven innings out there and turn it over to those guys in the `pen.''
That bullpen could be even stronger than normal with ace Madison Bumgarner, who won Game 1 and pitched a shutout in Game 5, available for a relief stint Wednesday night.
Bumgarner has allowed one run over 16 innings in his two starts against Kansas City.
''We'll see where he's at and how he's doing out there,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''I can't tell you exactly how far he could go or how many pitches he could go. I think you read him and see how he's doing out there.''
Asked what his pitch limit might be Wednesday night, Bumgarner gave a predictably preposterous answer.
''I said maybe 200. No, I don't know. I don't even know if I'm going to be called on. But if you are, as long as you're getting outs and you're not hurting ...,'' he said.
First things first, though: Bumgarner is excited for his pal Hudson.
''There couldn't be a better story for Huddy. I know he's going to be ready,'' Bumgarner said.
As for playing a Game 7, ''if you want to be a baseball player, that's what you think about.''
The Royals will also have a fresh bullpen after Ventura's sublime start. Kansas City manager Ned Yost has even said his star trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and All-Star closer Greg Holland would be available to pitch two innings apiece if needed.
''That keeps all of our big guns fresh and ready to go,'' Yost said.
The Royals also will have a bit of history on their side.
When they were last in the World Series in 1985, they also faced a 3-2 deficit returning home against St. Louis. They won Game 6, made famous by umpire Don Denkinger's blown call at first base, and then took Game 7 in an 11-0 rout for their only championship.
The Giants, meanwhile, had a 3-2 lead this year for the third time in franchise history. Just like in 1924 and 2002, they lost Game 6. Both of those years, they lost Game 7 as well.
''We'll take any win. Close, blowout, any win,'' Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain said. ''Guys stepped up and we definitely needed everyone in our lineup. We needed to swing the bats and have a good outing from our starter. We need that again. I hope the entire team gets hot.''
Royals, Giants play for title
October 29, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (99-79) at KANSAS CITY ROYALS (100-76)
2014 World Series
Game 7: Series tied 3-3
First pitch: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Kansas City -130, San Francisco +120, Total: 7
After a huge offensive outburst on Tuesday, the Royals will host the Giants in a decisive World Series Game 7 on Wednesday night.
San Francisco is the more experienced club here with World Series victories in both 2010 and 2012 while it has scored 27 runs (4.5 per game) over the first six games of this series. In Game 5 at home, the club was able to run away with a 5-0 shutout thanks to the arm of Madison Bumgarner, but the script was flipped on Tuesday when Kansas City rolled to an 11-0 victory to force a Game 7. San Francisco had a mere six hits in the shutout loss as starter Jake Peavy (1.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 K's) had yet another poor playoff outing. The team was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position while 3B Pablo Sandoval was 1-for-3 to improve his strong World Series numbers to 9-for-25 (.360) with two doubles, 4 RBI and four runs.
Kansas City has put itself in this unfathomable position after a dominant Game 6 as it scored its most runs of this postseason (11) behind 15 hits. The Royals were 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position as they backed a clutch performance from their starter Yordano Ventura who tossed seven shutout innings while allowing a mere three hits (but also five walks) and striking out four. OF Lorenzo Cain was the MVP of the ALDS and came through on Tuesday with a 2-for-3 night while driving in three, making him 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles, 4 RBI and four runs in the World Series.
For this last game of the season, the pitching matchup will peg San Francisco RHP Tim Hudson (0-1, 3.72 ERA) against RHP Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 2.70 ERA) for Kansas City. On the year, the Giants are 48-41 (.539) when playing on the road while the Royals are 48-40 (.545) when playing within the confines of Kauffman Stadium. Overall this season, Kansas City holds a 6-3 record against San Francisco and has done well when playing at home in that time; going 5-1. Trends show that the Giants are 74-47 (.612) when the total is between 7 and 8.5 runs this year, while the Royals have gone 10-0 after scoring nine or more runs this season. The injury situation remains the same for this contest, as San Francisco’s OF Angel Pagan (back) and 2B Marco Scutaro (back) are out, while Kansas City has no significant omissions from its lineup.
Tim Hudson had quite the comeback season after a brutal injury in 2013 and his 3.57 ERA was his best since 2011 while he put up career-best control numbers (1.6 BB/9). He managed just 5.7 strikeouts per nine innings over the year while forcing batters to hit the ball on the ground 53.1% of the time. In his previous 15 seasons, Hudson had never pitched past the NLDS, but has started three contests in these playoffs while allowing eight runs on 18 hits with 15 strikeouts (1 walk) over 19.1 frames. Overall in his postseason career (13 games, 12 starts), he is 1-4 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, while allowing six homers in his 74 innings. In his career against the Royals, he is 3-5 (6-6 team record) with a 4.17 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while allowing five homers in his 73.1 frames against them.
SS Alcides Escobar (3-for-8, 1 double, 1 RBI) has done well in his limited at-bats against the veteran, while OF Josh Willingham (2-for-32, 8 K's) and 2B Omar Infante (6-for-26, 2 RBI, 4 K's) have done poorly in the matchup. The Giants bullpen has gone an incredible 38-15 (.717) this year with a 2.94 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while successfully saving 51-of-70 (73%) games. Closer Santiago Casilla (0.00 ERA, 4 saves) has given up just two hits in his 7.1 frames this postseason, but has not pitched since Game 3.
Jeremy Guthrie has made a living with giving his clubs consistency, as he has been able to pitch at least 200 innings in five of his past six seasons while having an ERA between 4.04 and 4.76 in that time. The way he wins games is with control, as he has walked a mere 2.2 batters per nine innings while failing to strike out too many hitters (5.5 K/9). He has done well over his first two playoff starts this year, giving up three runs on seven hits over his 10 frames while his team has won two close games. When facing the Giants, Guthrie is 1-1 (3-1 team record) with a weak 5.49 ERA and 1.68 WHIP, but he has given up just three runs (2 ER) on eight hits over his past two starts against them (10.1 IP).
No player on San Francisco’s active roster has more than eight at-bats against the righty with OFs Gregor Blanco, Michael Morse, SS Brandon Crawford and 3B Pablo Sandoval combining to go 11-for-20 (.550) with a homer and 3 RBI while OF Hunter Pence (1-for-7, 3 K's) has not done well against him. The relievers for the Royals have gone a stellar 35-19 (.648) this year with a 3.27 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, and are a tremendous 60-for-72 (83%) in save opportunities. Closer Greg Holland (0.90 ERA, 7 saves) has been a beast this postseason with four hits allowed and 13 strikeouts while saving 7-of-7 games over his 10 appearances (10 IP).
October 29, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (99-79) at KANSAS CITY ROYALS (100-76)
2014 World Series
Game 7: Series tied 3-3
First pitch: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Kansas City -130, San Francisco +120, Total: 7
After a huge offensive outburst on Tuesday, the Royals will host the Giants in a decisive World Series Game 7 on Wednesday night.
San Francisco is the more experienced club here with World Series victories in both 2010 and 2012 while it has scored 27 runs (4.5 per game) over the first six games of this series. In Game 5 at home, the club was able to run away with a 5-0 shutout thanks to the arm of Madison Bumgarner, but the script was flipped on Tuesday when Kansas City rolled to an 11-0 victory to force a Game 7. San Francisco had a mere six hits in the shutout loss as starter Jake Peavy (1.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 K's) had yet another poor playoff outing. The team was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position while 3B Pablo Sandoval was 1-for-3 to improve his strong World Series numbers to 9-for-25 (.360) with two doubles, 4 RBI and four runs.
Kansas City has put itself in this unfathomable position after a dominant Game 6 as it scored its most runs of this postseason (11) behind 15 hits. The Royals were 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position as they backed a clutch performance from their starter Yordano Ventura who tossed seven shutout innings while allowing a mere three hits (but also five walks) and striking out four. OF Lorenzo Cain was the MVP of the ALDS and came through on Tuesday with a 2-for-3 night while driving in three, making him 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles, 4 RBI and four runs in the World Series.
For this last game of the season, the pitching matchup will peg San Francisco RHP Tim Hudson (0-1, 3.72 ERA) against RHP Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 2.70 ERA) for Kansas City. On the year, the Giants are 48-41 (.539) when playing on the road while the Royals are 48-40 (.545) when playing within the confines of Kauffman Stadium. Overall this season, Kansas City holds a 6-3 record against San Francisco and has done well when playing at home in that time; going 5-1. Trends show that the Giants are 74-47 (.612) when the total is between 7 and 8.5 runs this year, while the Royals have gone 10-0 after scoring nine or more runs this season. The injury situation remains the same for this contest, as San Francisco’s OF Angel Pagan (back) and 2B Marco Scutaro (back) are out, while Kansas City has no significant omissions from its lineup.
Tim Hudson had quite the comeback season after a brutal injury in 2013 and his 3.57 ERA was his best since 2011 while he put up career-best control numbers (1.6 BB/9). He managed just 5.7 strikeouts per nine innings over the year while forcing batters to hit the ball on the ground 53.1% of the time. In his previous 15 seasons, Hudson had never pitched past the NLDS, but has started three contests in these playoffs while allowing eight runs on 18 hits with 15 strikeouts (1 walk) over 19.1 frames. Overall in his postseason career (13 games, 12 starts), he is 1-4 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, while allowing six homers in his 74 innings. In his career against the Royals, he is 3-5 (6-6 team record) with a 4.17 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while allowing five homers in his 73.1 frames against them.
SS Alcides Escobar (3-for-8, 1 double, 1 RBI) has done well in his limited at-bats against the veteran, while OF Josh Willingham (2-for-32, 8 K's) and 2B Omar Infante (6-for-26, 2 RBI, 4 K's) have done poorly in the matchup. The Giants bullpen has gone an incredible 38-15 (.717) this year with a 2.94 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while successfully saving 51-of-70 (73%) games. Closer Santiago Casilla (0.00 ERA, 4 saves) has given up just two hits in his 7.1 frames this postseason, but has not pitched since Game 3.
Jeremy Guthrie has made a living with giving his clubs consistency, as he has been able to pitch at least 200 innings in five of his past six seasons while having an ERA between 4.04 and 4.76 in that time. The way he wins games is with control, as he has walked a mere 2.2 batters per nine innings while failing to strike out too many hitters (5.5 K/9). He has done well over his first two playoff starts this year, giving up three runs on seven hits over his 10 frames while his team has won two close games. When facing the Giants, Guthrie is 1-1 (3-1 team record) with a weak 5.49 ERA and 1.68 WHIP, but he has given up just three runs (2 ER) on eight hits over his past two starts against them (10.1 IP).
No player on San Francisco’s active roster has more than eight at-bats against the righty with OFs Gregor Blanco, Michael Morse, SS Brandon Crawford and 3B Pablo Sandoval combining to go 11-for-20 (.550) with a homer and 3 RBI while OF Hunter Pence (1-for-7, 3 K's) has not done well against him. The relievers for the Royals have gone a stellar 35-19 (.648) this year with a 3.27 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, and are a tremendous 60-for-72 (83%) in save opportunities. Closer Greg Holland (0.90 ERA, 7 saves) has been a beast this postseason with four hits allowed and 13 strikeouts while saving 7-of-7 games over his 10 appearances (10 IP).
Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
10/28/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
10/26/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
10/25/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detai
10/24/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1155 Detai
10/22/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1050 Detai
10/21/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1005 Detai
10/16/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detai
10/15/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
10/14/14 0-*4-*0 0.00% -*2135 Detail
10/12/14 0-*2-*0 0.00%-*1050 Detail
10/11/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*70 Detail
10/10/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*150 Detail
10/07/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% +*240 Detail
10/06/14 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*1080 Detail
10/05/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2290 Detail
10/04/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% +310 Detail
10/03/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*2395 Detail
10/02/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*450 Detail
10/01/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
09/30/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
Totals 39-*21-*0 65.00 % 9255
Rated Plays Only Record:
6 - 2 ........ + 4.25..........*****
14 - 9...........+ 16.32 ......Double Play
13 - 7 ..........+ 15.49.......Triple Play
6 - 4 ........... + 7.52 ......Grand Slam
Wednesday, October 29
Game Score Status Pick Amount
San Francisco - 8:00 PM ET San Francisco +127 500 ( MLB PLAYOFF OF THE YEAR ) GRAND SLAM
Kansas City - Over 7 500 ( MLB PLAYOFF TOTAL OF THE YEAR ) GRAND SLAM
END THE YEAR AND PLAYOFF WITH A BANG......GOOD LUCK GANG ITS BEEN ONE HELL OF A SEASON....
10/28/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
10/26/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
10/25/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detai
10/24/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1155 Detai
10/22/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1050 Detai
10/21/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1005 Detai
10/16/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detai
10/15/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
10/14/14 0-*4-*0 0.00% -*2135 Detail
10/12/14 0-*2-*0 0.00%-*1050 Detail
10/11/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*70 Detail
10/10/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*150 Detail
10/07/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% +*240 Detail
10/06/14 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*1080 Detail
10/05/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2290 Detail
10/04/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% +310 Detail
10/03/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*2395 Detail
10/02/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*450 Detail
10/01/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
09/30/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
Totals 39-*21-*0 65.00 % 9255
Rated Plays Only Record:
6 - 2 ........ + 4.25..........*****
14 - 9...........+ 16.32 ......Double Play
13 - 7 ..........+ 15.49.......Triple Play
6 - 4 ........... + 7.52 ......Grand Slam
Wednesday, October 29
Game Score Status Pick Amount
San Francisco - 8:00 PM ET San Francisco +127 500 ( MLB PLAYOFF OF THE YEAR ) GRAND SLAM
Kansas City - Over 7 500 ( MLB PLAYOFF TOTAL OF THE YEAR ) GRAND SLAM
END THE YEAR AND PLAYOFF WITH A BANG......GOOD LUCK GANG ITS BEEN ONE HELL OF A SEASON....
