Published : Oct. 30, 2014 - 20:36
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) ― Madison Bumgarner pitched five innings of near-perfect relief and the San Francisco Giants held off the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Wednesday night in Game 7 of the World Series for their third championship in five seasons.
With both starters chased early, this became a matchup of bullpens. And no one stood taller than the 6-foot-5 Bumgarner, who added to his postseason legacy with a third victory this Series.
After center fielder Gregor Blanco misplayed Alex Gordon’s drive for a single and two-base error, Bumgarner got Salvador Perez to pop foul to third baseman Pablo Sandoval for the final out.
San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval celebrates after catching the final out of Game 7. (AP-Yonhap)
The Giants ended a Series streak that had seen home teams win the last nine Game 7s. San Francisco took this pairing of wild-card teams after earning titles in 2012 and 2010.
Pitching on two days’ rest after his shutout in Game 5, Bumgarner entered in the fifth with a 3-2 lead. After giving up a leadoff single to Omar Infante, he shut down the Royals until Gordon’s hit.
Neither manager wanted to be caught waiting too long to make a move and Bruce Bochy pulled Tim Hudson in the second. Jeremy Affeldt relieved and threw 2 1-3 scoreless innings in his longest stint since 2012.
Giants designated hitter Michael Morse drove in two runs, including a go-ahead single in the fourth off Kelvin Herrera. A moment earlier, Royals manager Ned Yost had yanked starter Jeremy Guthrie.
After a Series full of lopsided results, this quickly shaped as something much more tight and tense.
Bochy spent a lot of time on the field. Along with pulling Hudson, Bochy became the first manager to win a video review challenge under Major League Baseball’s expanded replay format.
Eric Hosmer was initially ruled safe by first base umpire Eric Cooper while making a headfirst dive to beat out a double-play relay in the third. But after a review that took 2 minutes, 57 seconds, Hosmer was called out, completing a slick play started by rookie second baseman Joe Panik’s dive and glove flip to shortstop Brandon Crawford.
The crowd noise at Kauffman Stadium was constant and loud. The fans cheered when Billy Butler singled and hustled home on a double by Gordon, and booed when Perez was hit in the leg and knocked to the dirt ― that all happened in a span of three pitches.
Small ball was the story early, with three sacrifice flies in the second inning alone. Morse drove in Sandoval with the bases loaded and no outs, and Crawford drove in Hunter Pence with another fly to make it 2-0.
The Royals rallied back fast. After Infante’s sacrifice fly tied it at 2, Alcides Escobar singled with two outs and that was all for Hudson.
At 39, Hudson was the oldest pitcher to start Game 7 in the Series. He had signed with the Giants in the offseason as a free agent, hoping to reach the World Series for the first time, and maybe win a championship. This was his chance and instead, he had the shortest start in Game 7 of a Series since Bob Turley of the Yankees lasted only one inning against Pittsburgh in 1960.