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| Posey come through for SF. Photo Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/ USA Today Sports |
Buster Posey drove in three runs as the Giants came from three runs down to defeat the Cardinals 6-4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the NLCS.
By: Michael Hanley
San Francisco is on the doorstep to appearing in their third World series in the last five years and have a chance to wrap up the National League pennant tomorrow at home and avoid having to go back to St. Louis for a very tricky Game 6.
Thankfully for the Giants, they have their postseason ace in Madison Bumgardner going for them tomorrow against an ace that is struggling mightily in Adam Wainwright. Though the pressure on both pitchers to deliver a great performance will be heavy, Wainwright carries a greater burden as he has not looked like anything close to the terrific regular season ace he was for St Louis all season long.
This game was anything but easy for the Giants to start out. The Cardinals came out rolling as they went up 4-1 in the top of the third inning. It was the exact start this St Louis team needed especially coming off that heartbreaking walk off loss in the 10th inning in Game 3. As what has become the norm for the Giants, they had a immediate response as they scored two in the bottom of that same inning to close to within 4-3.
The bottom of the sixth inning would prove to be the undoing for the Cardinals in this game. San Francisco was able to put a rally together with the help of two critical misplays by Matt Adams. With runners on the corners, Gregor Blanco of the Giants hit a ground ball that was fairly routine but they had Juan Perez at third base going on any sort of contact and he was sent home which hurried Adam's motion to throw the ball to home plate to try and cut the run off.
It was unsuccessful as Adams did not get his feet set for the throw and made a throw that was short hopped to the catcher Tony Cruz. It allowed Cruz to slid under the tag and score the tying run.
The next mistake Adams made was on a ground ball by Joe Panik in which he tried to start up a double play possibility by stepping on first and then throwing to second base. Unfortunately his throw to short stop Jhonny Perlata was off target causing Peralta to come off the bag and just having to keep the ball, unable to make a plate at home.
That enabled Brandon Crawford to come home and giving San Francisco the 5-4 lead. Buster Posey would add some insurance as his RBI single made it 6-4, a lead the Giants would never give up.
The Cardinals would be unable to get anything through the Giants bullpen as they did manage to pout some runner on but they could not get that one hit to spark a late rally and possible comeback. Romo and Casilla locked down the 8th and 9th innings as they usually do for San Francisco to cap off another impressive comeback win and one step closer to going back to the World Series.
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