For the first time in four even years, the San Francisco Giants are not in the World Series.
Instead of letting that fact get you down, as we prepare for a historic Game 7 between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, lets take a trip down memory lane, and remember what happened the last time San Francisco found themselves in a World Series Game 7 in 2014.
The Giants entered the game after being shellacked by the Kansas City Royals in Game 6, losing 10-0, and squandering a chance to win their third title in six years. San Francisco had put themselves in the position to clinch with a shutout of their own in Game 5, with Madison Bumgarner going the distance for his sixth win of the 2014 postseason.
Tim Hudson, 39, was given the ball in the deciding game, but failed to get out of the second inning. Manager Bruce Bochy gave the veteran the quick hook after he allowed Kansas City to erase an early 2-0 Giants lead, giving up two runs of his own. San Francisco was able to regain a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning, on a broken bat RBI single by Michael Morse.
Jeremy Affeldt, he of two previous World Series titles, took over for Hudson in the second, and ended his night by pitching a scoreless bottom of the fourth. The Giants now needed to hold on to their one-run lead for five more innings to once again become World Champions.
On just two days rest, after throwing 117 pitches, and with 47 and 2/3 postseason innings already under his belt, Bumgarner was brought in to protect the one run lead in the fifth. Most assumed Bumgarner would pitch two or maybe three innings max before tiring out, especially after giving up a leadoff single to Omar Infante.
Instead he did this, and forever sealed his fate as a postseason legend.
Bumgarner would never leave the mound and the Royals wouldn’t score another run. The 25-year-old threw 68 pitches, allowed two hits and struck out four to earn the championship clinching five-out save.
The Giants might have had a disappointing end to their season in 2016, but Bumgarner’s performance in Game 7 is something that we’ll never forget.
If tonight’s deciding game between the Cubs and Indians is half as exciting, we’re in for a treat.
