Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants
Saturday 10/25, 8:00 PM ET at AT&T Park
Jason Vargas (11-10, 3.71) vs. Ryan Vogelsong (8-13, 4.00)
After a 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Friday night, the Royals have the upper hand with a 2 games to 1 series lead. The Giants, vying for their third championship in five seasons, need to win tonight or face the insurmountable odds of having to win three straight including two in KC.
Vargas held the O’s to one run in 5 1/3 innings on Oct. 15 in the ALCS. He earned the Game 4 win to lift the Royals to the World Series. Other than an exhibition game in 2010, Vargas has never pitched at AT&T Park in his nine-year career.
Typically a postseason force, Vogelsong struggled against St. Louis in the NLCS, lasting just three innings in Game 4. He entered that outing having allowed one run or fewer in five straight starts to begin his postseason career — an MLB record.
The Giants don’t want to fall in a 3-1 hole, as only four clubs in 47 tries have climbed out of it to win the World Series.
Since the New York Mets in 1969 (the start of divisional play), teams that win Game 3 in a World Series that was tied 1-1 have gone on to win the championship 16 of 19 times.
