After a short league-championship round, this year's World Series is a matchup between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals.
That might as well read Madison Bumgarner vs. James Shields, as no two players are more vital to their teams' success than the two projected to start Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
It's not so much a clash between Sandy Koufax in his prime and Greg Maddux in his prime, but more a tale of David vs. Goliath.
Playing the role of Goliath is the Giants' Bumgarner, who has arguably been the most dominant player in the postseason this year. He's allowed a meager five earned runs in 31.2 innings and could pitch in two, possibly three games this series.
The ace was named the NLCS MVP after allowing just three earned runs in 15.2 innings. Here's a look at the damage the lefty has done this postseason.
What makes Bumgarner even more valuable in this series is his performance on the road. Bumgarner broke the postseason record with 26.2 consecutive scoreless innings on the road during the NLCS against St. Louis. He surpassed the likes of Tommy John, Catfish Hunter, Christy Mathewson, Mariano Rivera and former record-holder Art Nehf in a single night.
With the Royals having home-field advantage, the Giants having a starter who hurls so well on the road is a major advantage.
Perhaps the toughest and most important job for any Royals player this series belongs to Shields. He'll not only square off against Bumgarner for at least two games, he'll likely have to outpitch the lefty for his team to have any chance.
Playing the role of David in this story, Shields was part of a blockbuster trade with Tampa Bay that saw many of Kansas City's top prospects sent to the Rays. As the Royals' first starter in line, Shields isn't exactly an ace, but he's no slouch either. He finished the 2014 regular season with 14 wins and a 3.25 ERA.
One of the main reasons Kansas City acquired the All-Star was for his reputation of coming up big in critical situations. He was granted the title of "Big Game James" in Tampa's minor league system by a former teammate who was a fan of basketball player James Worthy.
“I wear that nickname with pride,” Shields said, per Tim Rohan of The New York Times.
However, Shields has been anything but big in his major league postseason career. Here's a look at his disappointing starts this postseason.
Shields will have to be better than his prior postseason performances if the Royals are to stand a chance in his starts.
A bit of numbers and history are on his side.
In an August tilt with the Giants, Shields sparkled, throwing a four-hit complete-game shutout in a 5-0 Kansas City victory. That game during a streak of seven starts where the righty carried a stellar 1.65 ERA.
Shields will also have help from the San Francisco offense, or lack thereof. The Giants have had some issues scoring runs this postseason. Only nine runners crossed home plate in the team's NLDS series win against the Nationals. In the NLCS, errors and bloop plays highly contributed to the team's Game 1 and Game 3 victories. Heading into the series-clinching fifth game against the Cardinals, 12 of the 22 runs San Francisco had scored in the postseason were scored without a hit.
If Shields can give the Royals a lead in any of his starts, the game is as good as theirs. Kansas City's bullpen has pitched lights out this postseason, recording a 0.96 ERA since the start of the ALDS. Yes, the Giants bullpen also has fared well with a 2.00 ERA this postseason, but they don't feature the stellar trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland like the Royals do. The savvy relievers helped Kansas City to a 65-4 record in the regular season when the team led after the sixth inning.
The key to this World Series will be the duel between Bumgarner and Shields. If the Royals can steal one of these games and Shields can keep up with Bumgarner, they have a great shot at winning their first World Series since 1985. For a team making its first playoff appearance in 29 years, it's a true underdog to a veteran Giants team. A true David.
There's no ignoring Goliath. Looking for its third World Series title in five years, San Francisco has the experience and the knowledge of what it takes to win the whole thing. The pure strength of Bumgarner's pitching might be all it takes to win a third.
It's going to be a battle of biblical proportions.
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