World Series matchup

NEW YORK METS VS. KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Game 1: Tuesday, 5 p.m.

New York (Harvey, 13-8, 2.71 ERA)

at Kansas City (Volquez, 13-9, 3.55)

Game 2: Wednesday, 5 p.m.

New York (deGrom, 14-8, 2.54)

at Kansas City (Cueto, 11-13, 3.44)

Game 3: Friday, 5 p.m.

Kansas City (Ventura, 13-8, 4.08)

at New York (Syndergaard, 9-7, 3.24)

Game 4: Saturday, 5 p.m.

Kansas City (Young, 11-6, 3.06)

at New York (Matz, 4-0, 2.27)

Game 5: Sunday, 5 p.m.*

Kansas City (TBA)

at New York (TBA)

Game 6: Nov. 3, 5 p.m.*

New York (TBA)

at Kansas City (TBA)

Game 7: Nov. 4, 5 p.m.*

New York (TBA)

at Kansas City (TBA)

*if necessary | All times Pacific

TV: All games on FOX

Projected lineups

Pos - NEW YORK: AVG.; HR; RBI

RF - Curtis Granderson: .259; 26; 70

3B - David Wright: .289; 5; 17

2B - David Murphy: .281; 14; 73

CF - Yoenis Cespedes: .291; 35; 105

C - Travis d’Arnaud: .268; 12; 41

1B - Lucas Duda: .244; 27; 73

LF - Michael Conforto: .270; 9; 26

DH - Kelly Johnson: .265; 14; 47

SS - Wilmer Flores: .263; 16; 59

Pos - KANSAS CITY: AVG.; HR; RBI

SS - Alcides Escobar: .257; 3; 47

2B - Ben Zobrist: .276; 13; 56

CF - Lorenzo Cain: .307; 16; 72

1B - Eric Hosmer: .297; 18; 93

DH - Kendrys Morales: .290; 22; 106

3B - Mike Moustakas: .284; 22; 82

C - Salvador Perez: .260; 21; 70

LF - Alex Gordon: .271; 13; 48

RF - Alex Rios: .255; 4; 32

The story line is simple: No team throws harder than the Mets. And no team hits hard throwers better than the Royals, not so much with power but with contact.

The Royals have the better and deeper bullpen, so this series might depend on the Kansas City starters getting into the sixth inning. That’s not particularly impressive, but the Royals’ starters have averaged five innings per postseason start, getting past the sixth inning once in 11 tries.

Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy is batting .421 in the postseason, with seven home runs, but the Mets have not played in six days. The rest of the Mets: .207, with seven home runs.

Neither closer — the Royals’ Wade Davis or the Mets’ Jeurys Familia — has given up a run in the playoffs. Kelvin Herrera, the Royals’ setup man, has gotten 26 outs in the postseason, 16 by strikeout.

Pick: Royals in six.