San Francisco Giants left fielder Michael Morse (38) singles for the game winning hit scoring San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) in the fourth inning of Game 7 of baseball’s World Series against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. AP/The Sacramento Bee, Paul Kitagaki Jr.
KANSAS CITY — Sparked by a historic pitching performance from Madison Bumgarner on only two days’ rest, the San Francisco Giants captured their third World Series in five seasons by beating Kansas City 3-2 Wednesday.
The Giants won Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final 4-3, winning their eighth overall championship and following up 2010 and 2012 titles by taking a intense winner-take-all showdown that was dramatic to the last play.
Bumgarner, a 25-year-old left-hander who baffled Royals batters in winning games two and five, pitched five scoreless relief innings, striking out four while allowing only two hits and throwing 50 of his 68 pitches for strikes on career-low rest to earn unanimous Most Valuable Player honors.
“I wasn’t thinking about innings or pitch count,” Bumgarner said. “I was just thinking about getting outs until I couldn’t get them any more.
“Right now I’m not tired at all,” he added. “We just won the World Series.”
Bumgarner, originally credited with the game-seven win before an official scorer’s change gave him only a save and Jeremy Affeldt the win, allowed only one run in 21 World Series innings with 17 strikeouts and only one walk.
“Truly incredible what he did,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “I just can’t believe what he accomplished.”
San Francisco plated the deciding run in the fourth inning when Pablo Sandoval singled, advanced on a Hunter Pence single and a Brandon Belt sacrifice fly and scored on a Michael Morse single.
That set up the dramatic entry of Bumgarner, who took the mound in the fifth inning for his first relief stint since 2010. Royals fans raised the volume of their supportive chants, sensing a crucial moment.
Omar Infante tagged Bumgarner for a single to right, but Bumgarner retired the next 14 batters he faced. Infante reached second on Alcides Escobar’s sacrifice bunt, but Nori Aoki flew out and Lorenzo Cain struck out to end the threat.
After “MadBum” retired the heart of the Royals’ batting order on fly outs in the sixth, sent down the bottom of the lineup in order in the seventh and baffled the beginning batters a second time to conclude the eighth inning, the Giants were only three outs from a title.
Kansas City relievers Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis had kept the Giants from stretching their lead, but Bumgarner struck out Eric Hosmer in the ninth and induced a fly out by Billy Butler.
But one strike from victory, Giants centerfielder Gregor Blanco misplayed a single by Alex Gordon and let the ball roll to the outfield wall, allowing Gordon to reach third base and building the tension.
Unflustered, Bumgarner induced a fly out by Salvador Perez to end the game and touch off a wild on-field Giants celebration.
Giants defy history
History had favored the Royals as home teams had won the previous nine World Series game sevens, no road team having taken a one-game showdown for the crown since Pittsburgh at Baltimore in 1979,
The Giants entered 0-4 in winner-take-all World Series games, having lost final title contests in 1912, 1924, 1962 and 2002.
The Giants became the first World Series road team since the 1975 Cincinnati Reds to lose game six but recover to win game seven.
When faced with playoff elimination, the Giants have won eight games in a row and have won 10 playoff matchups in a row over the past five years, one shy of the New York Yankees all-time record.
Starters chased early
The Giants, whose 10-0 drubbing in game six was their most lopsided playoff loss since 1951, opened the scoring in the second inning.
Sandoval was hit by a pitch to reach first, then advanced on singles by Pence and Belt and came home on Morse’s sacrifice fly. Pence advanced to third on the out and scored on a Brandon Crawford sacrifice fly to put San Francisco ahead 2-0.
But the Royals equalized in the same inning, Butler singling and scoring on a double to the rightfield wall by Gordon, who took third on a Mike Moustakas fly out and scored on Infante’s sacrifice fly.
Giants right-hander Tim Hudson, the oldest-ever Series starting pitcher in game seven at age 39 but 0-5 over his past nine starts, lasted only 1 2/3 innings and Royals righty Jeremy Guthrie, 4-0 in his past five starts, went only 3 1/3.