SF 8, PIT 0: Bumgarner, Crawford sink Pirates in wild-card game as Giants advance to NLDS
Brandon Crawford launched a fourth-inning grand slam off right-hander Edinson Volquez while Madison Bumgarner hurled a complete-game shutout Wednesday night at PNC Park, lifting the San Francisco Giants to an 8-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League wild-card game.
Barely 24 hours after Volquez suggested he earned the right to start the wild-card game, the veteran held the Giants scoreless through the first three frames despite exhibiting some shaky command. His inability to locate his pitches, however, caught up with him in the fourth. The 31-year-old loaded the bases with nobody out when Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence opened the frame with consecutive singles and Brandon Belt followed with a walk.
Crawford spoiled Volquez's evening moments later, crushing an 82-mph curveball over the wall in right field to give his club a 4-0 lead and deflate the delirious crowd at PNC Park. The shortstop's slam provided ample support for Bumgarner, who entered Wednesday's contest with a 3.79 ERA over seven career postseason appearances.
The 6-foot-5 left-hander preyed on Pittsburgh's hapless lineup all evening, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out 10 through nine masterful innings. Bumgarner threw 79 of his 109 pitches for strikes, becoming just the 25th pitcher in history to record a complete-game shutout in the postseason before the age of 26.
Bumgarner's teammates, meanwhile, victimized the Pirates' relief corps after Volquez was removed from the game. The Giants extended their lead to 7-0 in the seventh on a two-run single from Belt before adding another run in the eighth on an RBI single from Buster Posey.
X-factor
Pablo Sandoval collected two hits and drew a walk in Wednesday's one-game playoff, scoring a pair of runs while making a stupendous catch in the seventh inning - an impressive performance dwarfed by Bumgarner's dominance and Crawford's grand slam.
Starting pitchers' lines
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Bumgarner | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Edinson Volquez | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Highlights
Crawford became the first shortstop in history to record a postseason grand slam with his fourth-inning blast off Volquez, who hadn't surrendered a home run since Sept. 9.
Third baseman Sandoval showed some amazing physical deftness in the seventh inning, landing on his feet after tumbling over the railing of the opposing dugout while making an impressive grab.
Quote of the Night
Tim Hudson: "When that ball went over the fence, I mean, game over. Give Bum a 4-nothing lead, I don't give a damn. Go spray some champagne"
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) October 2, 2014
Up Next
The Giants will open a best-of-five showdown with the Washington Nationals on Friday, the club's first trip to the National League Division Series since 2012. Manager Bruce Bochy will likely send either Jake Peavy or Tim Hudson to the mound for a Game 1 matchup against right-hander Stephen Strasburg at Nationals Park.