Schedule and 2014 Results
Regular Season Records: Kansas City 89-73, San Francisco 88-74
Game 1 on Tuesday, 21 October: San Francisco wins at Kansas City, 7-runs-1
Game 2 on Wednesday, 22 October: San Francisco loses at Kansas City, 7-runs-2
Game 3 on Friday, 24 October: Kansas City wins at San Francisco, 3-runs-2
Game 4 on Saturday, 25 October: Kansas City loses at San Francisco, 11-runs-4
Game 5 on Sunday, 26 October: Kansas City loses at San Francisco, 5-runs-nil
Game 6 on Tuesday, 28 October: San Francisco loses at Kansas City, 10-runs-nil
Game 7 on Wednesday, 29 October: San Francisco wins at Kansas City, 3-runs-2

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The San Francisco Giants visited and bested the Kansas City Royals 3-runs-2 to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1253 victory. With the series 1253 win, the San Francisco Giants improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 8-4 (with an active six-series winning streak) overall and 3-3 in the Finals round. With the series 1253 loss, the Kansas City Royals see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the Finals round. The win order for the victorious San Francisco Giants in series 1253 was WLLWWLW: Series 1253 thus becomes the third MLB Finals-round series, the third MLB series (all rounds), and the 18th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The only other two MLB teams to win a best-of-7 MLB playoff series through a WLLWWLW win order were the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1960 MLB Finals (series 137) and the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1964 MLB Finals (series 165). The sum of the victory margins for series 1253 was 35 runs, which is the third-largest in best-of-7 MLB Finals series (42 runs, in series 137 by the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees; 41 runs, in series 201 by the 1968 Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals). The series 1253 Game 7 victory by the San Francisco Giants in Kansas City breaks a nine-Game 7 winning streak by the home team in the MLB Finals. In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL Finals Game 7s, home teams achieved an 18-Game 7 winning streak, starting with series 411 in which the Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in St. Louis to win the 1982 MLB Finals, and ending with series 1070 in which the Red Wings lost in Detroit to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 NHL Finals. Beginning with series 1070 and extending through the just-concluded series 1253, home teams have a 3-3 record in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL Finals Game 7s.

After Game 6: The Kansas City Royals hosted and shut out the San Francisco Giants 10-runs-nil to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1253 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Kansas City Royals have a Game 7 record of 2-0, while the San Francisco Giants have a Game 7 record of 1-3. Kansas City tallied seven runs in the bottom of the second inning of series 1253 Game 6 - the most runs ever by one team in the second inning of a best-of-7 format MLB Finals game (breaking the old record of six such runs, set in series 16 Game 4 on the road by the 1923 New York Yankees, and tied in series 30 Game 4 by the 1937 New York Giants at home, in series 65 Game 3 by the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers at home, and in series 111 Game 2 by the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers at home). Series 1253 Game 6 becomes the most one-sided best-of-7 format MLB Finals game shutout since series 458 Game 7, in which the Kansas City Royals hosted and blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 11-runs-nil to end the 1985 World Series. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series (all rounds), teams such as the Kansas City Royals which 1) trailed 3-games-2 with a site order of HHVVV after five games, but 2) win Game 6 at home by five or more runs have a 6-1 Game 7 record, with an active six-Game 7 winning streak. With all else equal in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, home teams in Game 7 have a 29-22 record (with an active four-Game 7 winning streak) irrespective of round, and a 19-17 record (with an active nine-Game 7 winning streak) in the Finals round.

After Game 5: The San Francisco Giants hosted and shut out the Kansas City Royals 5-runs-nil to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1253 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the San Francisco Giants have a series record of 1-2 and a Game 6 record of 1-2. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 2-1 and a Game 6 record of 2-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in series 1120 Game 6 to win the 2010 National League Championship Series; the Giants have lost both best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which they led 3-games-2 but didn't win Game 6. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the Kansas City Royals lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in series 381 Game 6 to lose the 1980 World Series; the Royals have won both best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which they trailed 3-games-2 but didn't lose Game 6. The win/site order by the San Francisco Giants thus far in the 2014 MLB Finals is WLLWW @ VVHHH: In best-of-7 MLB Finals series, teams posting such a win/site order through five games have a 1-2 series record (the winner: the 2003 Florida Marlins, defeating the New York Yankees in series 905; the losers: the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, falling to the Cardinals in St. Louis in series 411, and the 2002 San Francisco Giants, falling to the Anaheim Angels in series 872).

After Game 4: The San Francisco Giants hosted and defeated the Kansas City Royals 11-runs-4 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1253 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 5 record of 0-1 (in series 381, the 1980 MLB Finals), while the San Francisco Giants have a series record of 0-3 and a Game 5 record of 2-1 (in series 151 [the 1962 MLB Finals], 499 [the 1987 MLB Semifinals], and 872 [the 2002 MLB Finals]). The San Francisco Giants trailed Kansas City 4-runs-1 after 2.5 innings, but rallied to win series 1253 Game 4: In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff games prior to series 1253 Game 4, home teams trailing by three runs after 2.5 innings had only a 13-40 (.245) game record. The last comeback by a home team down three runs after 2.5 innings in a best-of-7 MLB playoff game was also achieved by the Giants, in series 1252 Game 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in the just-concluded 2014 MLB Semifinals. The eleven runs scored by San Francisco in series 1253 Game 4 are the most by one team in an MLB Finals game since series 1154 Game 3, in which the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Rangers in Texas 16-runs-7 in Game 3 of the 2011 MLB Finals, and are the most by one team in an MLB Finals Game 4 since series 650 Game 4, in which the Toronto Blue Jays outslugged the Phillies in Philadelphia 15-runs-14 in the 1993 MLB Finals.

After Game 3: The Kansas City Royals visited and outscored the San Francisco Giants 3-runs-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1253 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 4 record of 0-0 – the Royals hold a 2-games-1 lead in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the first time in this, their fifth best-of-7 MLB playoff series. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the San Francisco Giants have a series record of 1-3 and a Game 4 record of 3-1. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series (all rounds), teams such as the Kansas City Royals which post a LWW @ HHV win/site order through three games have a 15-2 series record; the two teams to fall in this situation both fell to the Florida Marlins in 2003 (the Chicago Cubs in the MLB Semifinals in series 904; the New York Yankees in the MLB Finals in series 905). The Kansas City Royals became the second team in a best-of-7 format MLB playoff game to score one run in the top of the first inning and two runs in the top of the sixth for three runs total - in series 261, the Oakland Athletics did so in Cincinnati against the Reds to win 1972 MLB Finals Game 7.

After Game 2: The Kansas City Royals hosted and bested the San Francisco Giants 7-runs-2 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1253 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 3 record of 0-0 (i.e., the Royals have split the first two games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the first time in series 1253), while the San Francisco Giants have a series record of 4-3 and a Game 3 record of 3-4. The Kansas City Royals' five-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth inning is the highest-scoring best-of-7 MLB Finals sixth inning by one team since series 411 Game 6, in which the Cardinals in St. Louis scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 MLB Finals. The series 1253 win/site order for the Kansas City Royals is LW @ HH: Kansas City thus hopes to follow the lead set by their cross-state rival St. Louis Cardinals, which own a perfect 5-0 best-of-7 MLB Finals record in the wake of a LW @ HH win/site order through the first two games. The San Francisco Giants, against whom St. Louis posted a LW @ HH win/site order to begin series 1252 but then lost Games 3-5 and their 2014 MLB Semifinals series, would for their part be happy to duplicate that performance against the other MLB team in Missouri in 2014.

After Game 1: The San Francisco Giants visited and defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-runs-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1253 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the San Francisco Giants have a series record of 6-1 (with an active four-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 3-4. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Kansas City Royals have a series record of 2-1 and a Game 2 record of 0-3. The 7-runs-1 victory by the San Francisco Giants in series 1253 Game 1 is the most one-sided best-of-7 MLB Finals Game 1 victory since series 1220, in which the Boston Red Sox hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-runs-1 in Game 1 of the 2013 MLB Finals. In the history of best-of-7 MLB Finals Game 1, the team winning by six runs has a 2-3 series record, with an active three-series losing streak. The three runs plated by the San Francisco Giants in the top of the first inning of series 1253 Game 1 are the most in the top of the first inning of an MLB Finals Game 1 since series 179, in which the Baltimore Orioles also scored three top-of-the-first-inning runs against the Dodgers in Los Angeles to begin the 1966 MLB Finals (which Baltimore won in four games). Series 1253 Game 1 is only the second best-of-7 MLB Finals Game 1 in which the road team led 5-runs-nil after the top of the fourth inning through the bottom of the sixth inning; the first was series 158 Game 1, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers did so against the Yankees in New York in the 1963 MLB Finals (which Los Angeles won in four games).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2014 MLB regular season, the Kansas City Royals finished one game ahead of the San Francisco Giants. From 1905 through the 2014 MLB Semifinals round, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by one regular-season game, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 4-3 (.571) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1253 is the fifth best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the Kansas City Royals, and the twelfth for the San Francisco Giants. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Kansas City Royals have an all-rounds series record of 3-1, a Finals-round series record of 1-1, and a Game 1 record of 1-3, while the San Francisco Giants have an all-rounds series record of 7-4 (with an active five-series winning streak), a Finals-round series record of 2-3, and a Game 1 record of 7-4. Series 1253 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants.