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Well, here we are.
No one has ever accused this site of being optimistic, but I don't think even the most optimistic of Royals fans could have imagine this kind of scenario. Yet here we stand, with one game standing between the Royals and baseball immortality. If it hasn't quite sunk in yet because its all happened so fast and so sudden and so unexpectedly I understand. I'm with you. But its happening. That's baseball.
Jeremy Guthrie takes the hill for the Royals for a chance to win it all. Guthrie has both driven us nuts, and earned our admiration and respect. As a pitcher, I'm really nervous about his ability to keep the Giants from squaring up on the ball. As a person though, I'm thrilled for the guy. Guthrie is easily one of the most likeable guys on the team, who loves interacting with fans and seems to just be thrilled with being a Major Leaguer. If this is a Hollywood script, Game Seven is his to win.
I know momentum isn't really a thing and small sample sizes distort numbers and all, BUT since August 1, including the postseason:
Jeremy Guthrie 3.01 ERA in 80 1/3 innings
Tim Hudson 5.32 ERA in 69 1/3 innings
I'M JUST SAYING!
Expect both starting pitchers to be on a very short leash with pretty much everyone - possibly even Yordano Ventura - available tonight. The rumors are Madison Bumgarner could pitch up to three innings tonight, although who knows how much of that is gamesmanship.
Here's how the Giants line up for their last game of the year.
#sfgiants: Blanco CF, Panik 2B, Posey C, Sandoval 3B, Pence RF, Belt 1B, Morse DH, Crawford SS, Perez LF
— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) October 29, 2014
Juan Perez gets the start in left-field tonight, depriving us of the "Travis Ishikawa Experience."
Here's how the Royals line up in GAME SEVEN OF THE WORLD SERIES.
Crown Lineup: Escobar 6, Aoki 9, Cain 8, Hosmer 3, Butler DH, Gordon 7, Perez 2, Moustakas 5, Infante 4, Guthrie 1. #royals
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) October 29, 2014
Looks like a ten-run lineup to me.
Are you ready for the last Game Thread of 2014?