Royals' bullpen locked and loaded

In Game 5 of their Division Series against the Astros, the Royals are favored. Not heavily favored -- not like the Dodgers were favored Tuesday night in New York, or like the Blue Jays are favored Wednesday afternoon in Toronto, or like the Dodgers are favored Thursday night in Los Angeles -- but favored.

Why? For sure because they're playing in Kansas City, and maybe also because they've got more high-powered weapons in their bullpen.

Because you gotta figure the bullpens are going to play a big role in this one. Bigger than usual, even.

Houston's starting Colin McHugh, a perfectly fine pitcher and exactly the sort you wouldn't expect to last more than five innings, six innings tops, in a game like this. Kansas City's starting Johnny Cueto, who ... well, let's just say the Royals' presumptive ace hasn't been real reliable lately.

From the great Andy McCullough in The Kansas City Star:

That's a lot of guys who are available, and for more than one inning!

Now, bullpenners are capable of allowing runs, too. But even without Greg Holland, the Royals are going to win most Battles of the Bullpen. So the single biggest danger for the Royals is probably Cueto getting hit so hard and so fast that they're down three or four runs early in the game, and then A.J. Hinch somehow nurses his inferior relief pitchers through the last four or five innings, perhaps even turning to Dallas Keuchel for a short stint.

All of which would hardly be impossible, Game 4 notwithstanding.

But that's why the Royals are slight favorites in this one: they're at home, and they've got a significantly better bullpen.