Royals-Giants World Series pits destiny against dynasty

Mike Moustakas didn't take the bait completely, but he didn't outright dispute the notion, either.

On the eve of Kansas City's first World Series appearance since 1985, the third baseman was asked this question: Are the Royals a team of destiny?

"You guys can say that if you want," Moustakas said with a smile Monday. "We just go out and we play the game hard. We do things the right way. If it shakes out that way, it does, but we just go out and try to win a ballgame each night."

The Royals have done that this postseason, going 8-0 to get here.

But their opponent for the Series, which starts Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium, has its own impressive streak.

The National League champion Giants, going for their third World Series title in the last five years, have won nine consecutive postseason series since 2010. That's the second-longest streak in MLB history behind the Yankees, who won 11 straight series from 1998-2001.

"There's absolutely no formula, no figuring this game out," Giants rightfielder Hunter Pence said of the streak. "It's been a nice run. It's been good pitching, good baseball, good defense and never giving in."

The teams aren't mirror images of each other, but those attributes sound quite similar to the main contributors to the Royals' streak -- solid starting pitching, outstanding defense and lockdown bullpens.

Really, really lockdown bullpens.

The Giants' relievers have posted a 1.78 ERA in this postseason and haven't allowed a run in their last 101/3 innings.

The Kansas City bullpen, led by the seventh-eighth-ninthinning combo of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland, is 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA this postseason. In its last six playoff games, the group has allowed three runs in 28 innings for a 0.96 ERA.

"You see a bullpen over there that has the ability to shorten a game by three innings," said veteran Giants lefthander Jeremy Affeldt, who has recorded a scoreless outing in 18 straight postseason games. "What they have there is similar [to the Giants]."

The Giants were the better run-producers this season, ranking fifth in the NL in runs (665) and seventh in homers (132), but the Royals, last in the AL in homers (95) though ninth in runs (651), terrorized AL pitching all season on the basepaths. They stole an MLB-best 153 bases, compared with 56 by the Giants, who ranked 29th out of 30 teams.

"This might shock some people, but I don't think I've put a steal sign on all year," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "All of our running is green-light stuff. It's the ability to let players have the freedom to play the game, especially when they're good."

San Francisco's Game 1 starter, lefthander Madison Bumgarner, who will be opposed by Royals righthander James Shields, said he isn't obsessing about Kansas City's speed.

"When it comes down to it, you've got to make a pitch," said. "If they're going to go, they're going to go. Hopefully, if you're making pitches good enough, it won't matter."

In the experience category, the Giants have the advantage, fielding 13 players who were a part of the 2012 World Series winner. The Royals have only two players with World Series experience, Omar Infante with the 2006 and 2012 Tigers and Shields, their Game 1 starter, with the 2008 Rays.

Pence wasn't making too much of it.

"We have an idea of the adrenaline, we know that we've been there before," said Pence, one of the 13. "But if experience was what made anything happen, then the same teams would win every year, and that's not the case. It's a completely new competition and the team that's going to win it all is going to have to go earn it. That's the [appeal] of this game is that everything is uncertain. Nobody knows."

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.