Like Games 2 and 3, this one could be all about the sixth inning. Neither Jason Vargas nor Ryan Vogelsong should be expected to pitch deep into the game, and assuming they survive through five frames, the sixth has become the vital inning of this series. That's when starters are usually facing the lineup a third time through the order and Twitter starts getting all dizzy about pulling the starter and going to the bullpen. Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson both ran into trouble in the sixth, as did Jeremy Guthrie, when all three pitchers had retired at least 10 batters in a row entering the inning.

"I feel it's one of the most important innings of the game for us," Ned Yost said before Game 4. "It's been like that for a while. We feel like we have 7, 8 and 9 covered. Sometimes we've got to mix and match the sixth. The majority of the time this summer our starters did a really, really good job of getting us through six innings. We've been a little more quicker to go to the pen here in the postseason, but it's an extremely pivotal inning." Yost has actually gone to his bullpen in the sixth inning in six of the past seven games (and the other time he went to it in the fourth).

Just to get the numbers out there (regular season only):

Vargas

First time through the order: .680 OPS

Second time: .699 OPS

Third time: .753 OPS

Vogelsong

First time: .671 OPS

Second time: .749 OPS

Third time: .769 OPS

Neither pitcher has the dramatic dropoff that Peavy and Hudson had, but they both do have a decline. It certainly will be interesting how the managers will react if these guys are pitching well when the lineup turns over for the third time through.

Kelvin Herrera has been Yost's sixth-inning reliever of choice, but he threw 32 pitches in Game 2 and 27 in Game 3. Only once in his career has he pitched the day after throwing as many as 27 pitches. Yost did say this in his pregame media session, however: "Kelvin came in, first thing he did was seek out [pitching coach] Dave Eiland and tell him he feels really good today. So our response to that was, 'Well, let's go out, play catch, and let's see how you feel, and then we can make a decision from that point." Still, you have to think Yost will be reluctant to use Herrera, at least for more than a batter or two. Look for Jason Frasor and Brandon Finnegan to have to get some outs in this one in the middle innings if the Royals are tied or leading.

I thought Giants coach Bruce Bochy might change his lineup around a little, maybe moving Hunter Pence up to the No. 2 spot since Gregor Blanco is hitting .167/.274/.241 in the postseason and Joe Panik .220/.246/.339. The Giants simply aren't getting enough production from the top of the order. But all Bochy did was flip Pence and Pablo Sandoval to get Pence into the cleanup spot against a lefty and Sandoval down lower as he bats from his weaker right side. Juan Perez also gets the start in left field in place of Travis Ishikawa, as Bochy just wasn't comfortable putting Mike Morse out there after a long layoff without playing the field (not to mention that he's a bad left fielder). Vogelsong is a flyball pitcher, so getting a better defender in left is akin to Yost starting Jarrod Dyson in Game 3. (Yost will keep the same lineup for Game 4, with Dyson in center and Lorenzo Cain in right.)

Both managers were asked before the game about the "wet" basepaths in Game 3. Indeed, they did look a little wet, and the Giants' groundskeepers were certainly putting a good soak to it before the game. Bochy said, "Honestly, I didn't say anything about the infield or do something. I'm being honest." Hey, that's what the general manager is for! Isn't that what home-field advantage is all about? (Brings back a reminder of how the Giants would soak the dirt around first base when they played Maury Wills and the Dodgers in the '60s.) Vogelsong allowed 12 stolen bases in 18 attempts in the regular season, so he's about average in controlling the running game. Here's another key Vogelsong stat: He allowed 16 home runs on the road, but just two at AT&T Park.

We saw the weakness of the Giants' bench exposed in Game 3, when the .170-hitting Perez was used as a pinch-hitter in a big moment. The bench is a little stronger in Game 4 with Ishikawa available along with Morse, but it's not as though he's anything special, either (his NLCS walk-off homer notwithstanding). It's perhaps noteworthy that Madison Bumgarner was taking BP with the bench guys today. Really, considering he hit four home runs during the season, he's as big a power threat as anybody else on the bench.

Still looking for our first Yusmeiro Petit sighting of the series. Have to think his availability and with the Giants trailing in the series that Vogelsong is on a very short leash.

We all know about the Royals' bullpen, but Jeremy Affeldt now has 20 scoreless postseason appearances in a row, Santiago Casilla 19 and Javier Lopez 18. The only pitchers with similar streaks are Mariano Rivera (a record 23 in a row from 1998 to 2000), Dennis Cook (19) and Chad Bradford (19).

Should be a fun one!