Royals vs. Giants: World Series Game 3 Preview, Prediction
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Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants – World Series Game 3 (series tied at 1-1)
Game Time, TV: Friday, October 24th – 8:00 PM ET on FOX
Starting Pitchers: Jeremy Guthrie (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Tim Hudson (0-0, 3.29 ERA)
After having their playoff win streak come to an end in Game 1, the Royals had to respond with a victory in Game 2. Heading back to San Francisco down 0-2 would have been a situation that even this KC team would of have a hard time getting out of. But the Royals took care of business at home in Game 2, and have now given themselves a real shot to win their first World Series in nearly three decades.
Tim Hudson will be making his long-awaited WS debut for the Giants in Game 3 after 16 years in MLB. San Francisco would love to get seven strong innings from the veteran RHP, but five is a lot more realistic. However, the longer Hudson can go, the better off the Giants will be. Their bullpen has been shaky, and now could possibly be without Tim Lincecum, who’s day-to-day with a bad back after leaving Game 2 in discomfort.
Look for Kansas City to try and run against Hudson, as he’s not exactly the best at limiting stolen bases. Out of 26 SB attempts over the past two years, 22 have swiped successfully against the veteran.
It’s also worth noting the obvious that KC will lose it’s DH, Billy Butler, for most of Game 3. Butler knocked in a pair during Game 2, so look for him to be called upon fairly early in the contest if a run-scoring opportunity arises. The way KC’s bullpen has been throwing lately, the more early runs, the better.
Prediction: KC puts on a small ball clinic and gets a quality start from Guthrie to take a 2-1 WS lead.
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