3 things you need to know - NL wild-card: Giants at Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants both hope history is on their side when they play the National League wild card game Wednesday at PNC Park. 

It's the first time the two teams will meet in the postseason since 1971 – the Bucs went on to win the World Series that year, while the Giants have flown World Series flags in each of their last two trips to the playoffs – in 2010 and 2012. 

Here are three things you need to know:

Edinson Volquez is coming in hot 

A little over a year ago, Edinson Volquez was designated for assignment by the San Diego Padres. On Wednesday, he'll take the mound for the Pirates in a single-game elimination.

The Pirates inked Volquez to a low-risk/high-reward, one-year, $5 million deal prior to the season and the right-hander has more than exceeded expectations. In 32 appearances, Volquez owns a 13-7 record and 3.04 ERA to go with a 1.23 WHIP. 

While Volquez's season numbers have been solid, it's his body of work over the last two months that have earned him the ball in October. Since Aug. 7, the 31-year-old is 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA and has held the opposition to a .199 batting average. Cementing manager Clint Hurdle's choice to hand Volquez the start is the fact that the pitcher's allowed just one earned run over his last 21 innings.

Giants career vs. Volquez (5 most at-bats):

Madison Bumgarner shines in the spotlight 

San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner fears no one – as evidenced by his challenging of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig just last week. 

The decision to use Bumgarner was a simple one for manager Bruce Bochy, as the 25-year-old already owns a pair of World Series wins on his resume. 

"I don't think there was any question who you pitch that game," Bochy said, via ESPN. 

Bumgarner, who set a career-high in wins (18) and strikeouts (219) this season, owns a 3-2 record and 3.79 ERA in 35 2/3 postseason innings. 

What's been most impressive about Bumgarner's 2014 campaign has been his effectiveness on the road. In 18 starts, the two-time All-Star is 11-4 this season with a 2.22 ERA. 

Pirates career vs. Bumgarner (5 most at-bats):

Will Buster Posey's back be ready for October?

The San Francisco Giants' post-season run will depend heavily on the production of Buster Posey, but whether the catcher's ailing back can carry the load remains to be seen. 

The two-time All-Star was phenomenal in the final month of the season – hitting .393/.436/.607 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 23 games. However, Posey missed two straight games following a precautionary MRI on Friday, though it failed to find any glaring issues. 

Posey didn't appear to be suffering in two at-bats on Sunday, belting a two-run home run before being lifted in the fourth inning as the Giants already clinched a playoff berth.