After blowing a 4-0 lead, the San Francisco Giants survived in Game 3 against the Cardinals 5-4 in 10 innings. It was an errant throw by Cardinals pitcher Randy Choate on a Gregor Blanco sacrifice bunt that won the game for the Giants. The throw would sail in to right field, scoring Brandon Crawford from second base. Crawford reached on an 8-pitch walk to begin the inning, ending a stretch of 16 straight Giants retired, dating back to the 4th inning. He would then move to second on a Juan Perez single, and then score on the Choate error.
The win gives the Giants a 2-1 series lead, with Game 4 set for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST. The Giants got off to a 4-0 1st inning lead, after a Hunter Pence RBI double, and Travis Ishikawa 3-run double. Randal Grichuk tied it with a solo homer in the 7th off the left-field foul pole, ending the night of Tim Hudson. Today's walk-off comes 12 years to the day since Kenny Lofton's walk-off single sent the Giants to the World Series past the Cardinals in the 2002 NLCS.
The Cardinals were without star catcher Yadier Molina, who was in uniform and reportedly available as a defensive replacement, despite his oblique injury. He was seen warming up closer Trevor Rosenthal in the 9th inning, and was expected to come in if St. Louis took the lead. Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the 9th to send it in to extras. Javier Lopez gave up a 2-out single to Jon Jay in the 10th, but Sergio Romo ended the inning for the Giants. The Jay single was just the 3rd hit by a left-handed batter off of Lopez since 2010.
Hudson struck out 5, giving up 4 runs in 6.1 innings, while John Lackey gave up 4 runs on 5 hits, struck out 3, and walked 1 in 6 innings. The Cardinals were last in the NL with 105 home runs during the regular season, but have 12 home runs in the postseason. 8 of those home runs have come in the 7th inning or later, but Grichuk's was not enough on this day.
The Giants 4-run 1st was the most run scored in the 1st inning of a postseason game for them since game 7 of the 1912 World Series, when they scored 6. The Giants will send Ryan Vogelsong to the mound for game 4, while the Cardinals will respond with Shelby Miller, as they look to even up the series and stay out of a 3-1 hole.
The win gives the Giants a 2-1 series lead, with Game 4 set for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST. The Giants got off to a 4-0 1st inning lead, after a Hunter Pence RBI double, and Travis Ishikawa 3-run double. Randal Grichuk tied it with a solo homer in the 7th off the left-field foul pole, ending the night of Tim Hudson. Today's walk-off comes 12 years to the day since Kenny Lofton's walk-off single sent the Giants to the World Series past the Cardinals in the 2002 NLCS.
The Cardinals were without star catcher Yadier Molina, who was in uniform and reportedly available as a defensive replacement, despite his oblique injury. He was seen warming up closer Trevor Rosenthal in the 9th inning, and was expected to come in if St. Louis took the lead. Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the 9th to send it in to extras. Javier Lopez gave up a 2-out single to Jon Jay in the 10th, but Sergio Romo ended the inning for the Giants. The Jay single was just the 3rd hit by a left-handed batter off of Lopez since 2010.
Hudson struck out 5, giving up 4 runs in 6.1 innings, while John Lackey gave up 4 runs on 5 hits, struck out 3, and walked 1 in 6 innings. The Cardinals were last in the NL with 105 home runs during the regular season, but have 12 home runs in the postseason. 8 of those home runs have come in the 7th inning or later, but Grichuk's was not enough on this day.
The Giants 4-run 1st was the most run scored in the 1st inning of a postseason game for them since game 7 of the 1912 World Series, when they scored 6. The Giants will send Ryan Vogelsong to the mound for game 4, while the Cardinals will respond with Shelby Miller, as they look to even up the series and stay out of a 3-1 hole.