Post-season Gameday Thread, #20: Royals pains

5:07pm Arizona time, Fox: Giants lead 3-2

Jake Peavy RHP, 1-1, 3.68

Yordano Ventura RHP, 0-0, 4.42

Gregor Blanco - CF	Alcides Escobar - SS
Joe Panik - 2B	Norichika Aoki - RF
Buster Posey - C	Lorenzo Cain - CF
Pablo Sandoval - 3B	Eric Hosmer - 1B
Hunter Pence - RF	Billy Butler - DH
Brandon Belt - 1B	Alex Gordon - LF
Mike Morse - DH	Salvador Perez - C
Travis Ishikawa - LF	Mike Moustakas - 3B
Brandon Crawford - SS	Omar Infante - 2B

Standing between the Royals and elimination - as well as extending that "even year" bullshit for the Giants - is the hardest throwing man in show-business. Ventura got a no-decision in Game 2 of this series, though had a decent start, holding the Giants to two runs over 5.1 innings. It's a rematch of that game, where Peavy matched Ventura until the Royals broke things open with a five-run sixth inning, on their way to a 7-2 victory that leveled the series at one win apiece. Victory this evening would tie the series again, this time at three each, and set up a decisive winner take all game tomorrow night in Kansas City.

Of course - and you probably won't need to listen to Fox very long before this gets brought up - it's the same situation for the Royals as the last time they made the post-season, back in 1985. And, indeed, eight of the last 10 teams to trail 3-2 but with home advantage, took the final two games - you might recall, that's exactly what the D-backs did in 2001, clobbering the Yankees in a blowout of their Game Six. It would be nice if the Royals could do the same again, and put the game away decisively and early. However, that hasn't been the pattern, and after their bullpen meltdown in Game Five, no lead should probably be considered impregnable.