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(SportsNetwork.com) - The Kansas City Royals are back in the World Series for the first time in 29 years. If they want to nail down their first title since that 1985 season, though, theyll have to get past a team in the San Francisco Giants who will be vying for their third World Series championship in five years. Kansas City kicks off the 110th edition of the Fall Classic against the Giants on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. TSN1410 pregame coverage begins at 4:00, with the opening pitch at 5:00pm PT. A matchup nobody envisioned at the beginning of the playoffs, let alone the start of the season, the Royals and Giants become the first World Series matchup between wild card teams since the Los Angeles Angels beat San Francisco in 2002. Kansas Citys run in October has been nothing short of spectacular, as it has become the first team in major league history to start its postseason with eight consecutive wins. The Royals have won 11 straight playoff games dating back to 1985 and another victory tonight would tie them with the Yankees (1927-32, 1998-99) for the longest streak in postseason history. The Royals rely on their speed, defense, timely hitting, and, of course, one of the better bullpens in postseason history. No team signified small ball more than Kansas City, which won 89 games this season thanks in large part to its ability to play defense and manufacture runs. The Royals also led the AL with 153 stolen bases, but their 95 home runs were the fewest in baseball. Kansas City, though, has found its power stroke in the playoffs, swatting eight home runs in its eight games. If you are looking for a star on this Royals team, good luck. James Shields is the closest thing the Royals have to an ace and he will be on the hill in Game 1, once again trying to live up to his Big Game moniker. This will be his third start this postseason and he is 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA. I think this city has been waiting for this for a long time, and the fact that were doing it in the fashion that we are is tremendous, said James Shields. This is our goal in Spring Training, and we had one mindset, and that was to go to the World Series and win it. And to be able to be here on this big stage is exactly what weve been working really hard for all season long. Shields will be pitching on 10 days rest after being skipped over for the Royals Game 4 clincher versus Baltimore because he had to pass a kidney stone. While Shields career postseason ERA sits at 5.19, he did have his best showing of the season against the Giants, a four-hit shutout back in August. San Francisco, meanwhile, has made a habit recently of winning titles in even years, as the Giants ended a 56-year drought by beating the Texas Rangers in 2010, then swept the Detroit Tigers in 2012. With a series win over the Royals, the Giants would join the Yankees as the only clubs over the last 40 years to boast three championships during a five- year span. I was amazed at the Yankees on what they accomplished. Its not that easy, said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. I mean, first of all, youve got to get there. Then the road to get there now is a lot more difficult than it used to be. It used to be two pennant winners going at it, and now you have to go through some playoffs, and this year we had the extra one with the (wild card) playoff game. Like the Royals, San Franciscos run this year began with a wild card win, but it had a much easier time, as Madison Bumgarner blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then the Giants took out the NLs best team, the Washington Nationals, in four games, before beating St. Louis in five games. The Giants clinched their sixth NL pennant since moving to San Francisco in dramatic fashion on Thursday, as Travis Ishikawa stroked a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, setting off a wild celebration. If there is one advantage the Giants will have against the Royals, it will be their starting staff, namely Bumgarner, who will start Game 1. If there was no Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw we may very well be talking about an NL Cy Young Award for Bumgarner, who set career-high marks in wins (18) and strikeouts (219) and pitched to a 2.98 ERA. That has carried over into the postseason, as the southpaw tossed a four-hit shutout to beat the Pirates, but then absorbed the lone loss in the NLDS for the Giants and only allowed two earned runs in seven innings. Bumgarner was named the NLCS MVP, as he held the Cardinals to three runs in eight innings in Game 5 after throwing 7 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 1. Bumgarner finished the series with a 1.72 ERA in his two starts. Between the wild-card game, the NLDS and NLCS, Bumgarner has a 1.42 ERA in four starts and 31 2/3 innings this postseason. Honestly, I feel the best Ive felt all year for the last probably two months, Bumgarner said. Bumgarner was also one of the best road pitchers in the league this season, going 11-4 with a 2.22 ERA in 18 starts away from AT&T Park. Both of his postseason wins this season have come on the road. These teams actually met in the regular season, as the Royals completed a three-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium. Cheap Robin Yount Jersey . The motion to expand the stadiums capacity passed through by a count of 39-3, with Toronto mayor Rob Ford being among those in opposition. Cheap Brewers Jerseys . -- The Minnesota Twins have granted relief pitcher Matt Guerrier his unconditional release, making the 35-year-old right-hander a free agent. http://www.cheapbrewersjerseys.com/ . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Cheap MLB Jerseys . The Brazilian heads into Saturday afternoons race coming off a close runner-up finish to Ryan Hunter-Reay in the Indianapolis 500. Cheap Cecil Cooper Jersey . "Opinion: Womens World Cup is the best Soccer of the year," Hanks tweeted to his 8.73 million followers on Friday. "Hey FIFA, they deserve real grass. Put in sod. TAMPA, Fla. -- Joe Girardi found out about Derek Jeters retirement announcement the same way almost everyone else did: when the New York Yankees captain posted a letter to the world on his Facebook page this week. Girardi left snowy New York on Friday and arrived at spring training for his seventh year as Yankees manager, and he spent the first eight minutes of his 20-minute opening news conference discussing Jeters decision to retire after this season. "I think we were probably all a little bit taken aback by it," Girardi said. "Youre never sure how someones going to do it, but I had no inkling that thats what he was thinking." After missing the playoffs for just the second time in 19 years, the Yankees were back in business when pitchers and catchers reported ahead of Saturdays opening workout. Alex Rodriguezs locker was empty following his season-long suspension. Masahiro Tanaka inherited Mariano Riveras locker and Shawn Kelley got Andy Pettittes stall. Scott Sizemore, attending camp on a minor league contract, was assigned Robinson Canos jersey No. 24. Position players report next Wednesday, when Jeter holds a news conference at Steinbrenner Field to explain his decision. Girardi has exchanged texts with the 39-year-old shortstop but has not spoken with him. "This is going to be a guy thats hard to replace in your clubhouse and on your club," he said. "Its the nature of the business where people age and they move on and they go and do different things in their life, and in our life its a little bit quicker than some of the other working people of this world." Jeter was limited to 17 games last year after fracturing his left ankle in the 2012 playoffs and breaking it again last spring during his rehabilitation. Girardi said Jeter always told him "I feel great," but that he could sense frustration. After working out Friday with Brian Roberts at the Yankees minor league complex, Jeter demurred discussing his decision. "It makes no sense to do it here and then do it again over there, so Ill do it all over there one time," he said. And so now Jeter will go on a valedictory tour, much like Mariano Rivera did last year. JJeter is not the type to call attention to himself, making his public announcement before spring training all the more surprising.dddddddddddd "It could have been just watching how Mo did it, and how much fun everyone seemed to have with it with Mo," Girardi said. "He might have said, you know, its a pretty good way to go out." Jeter has won five World Series titles with the Yankees but none since 2009, and his final lap of the major leagues figures to set the theme as New York tries for title No. 28. His teammates looked forward to speaking with him after he reports. "Not really surprised, saddened I guess that hes not going to be around," ace pitcher CC Sabathia said. "You want a guy like that to play forever." Having witnessed Chipper Jones final season with the Atlanta Braves in 2012, new Yankees catcher Brian McCann is looking forward to Jeters last go-round. "Hes been the face of baseball since he broke in," McCann said. "I went through it with one Hall of Famer. Im going to go through it with another." David Robertson, inheriting the closers role from Rivera, hadnt thought Jeter would make his plans known before the seasons end. "But Im really glad he did," he said. "I think its going to give the fans a chance to come out this year and see him in his final season in pinstripes." Robertsons new job is one of many changes for the Yankees, who spent $471 million on free agents, including a $20 million payment to Tanakas old club in Japan. McCann and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran are among the many newcomers, and first baseman Mark Teixeira is returning from a wrist injury that sidelined him most of last season. Cano -- the Yankees top hitter -- left for a $240 million, 10-year deal with Seattle. Girardi predicted for the April 1 opener at Houston that Yankees players at every position other than pitcher will be different from opening day last year. The only time thats happened in franchise history was 1947, according to STATS. "I think it is probably the biggest transition Ive been through," Girardi said. "I need to learn a lot of new faces fairly quickly." ' ' '