NLCS Game 5, Cardinals Vs Giants Final Score: Giants Walk Off, Clinch NL Pennant
By Hayden Kane
40. 3. 33. Final. 6
The San Francisco Giants walked off against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night and continued their incredible run in the 2014 MLB postseason. With a 6-3 victory in Game 5 of the NLCS, the Giants are headed to the World Series.
Did you have any doubt that the Giants would win a close game at home? Sure, the Giants were down 3-2 in the 8th inning of this game, but this is what they do. San Francisco received heroic home runs from unlikely heroes in Michael Morse and Travis Ishikawa, and they walked off for a dramatic 6-3 victory. They are headed to the World Series.
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Michael Wacha was called upon by the Cardinals in the bottom of the 9th in a baffling decision. The young righty had not pitched in 20 days, yet manager Mike Matheny inserted him into a tied game with the team’s season on the line.
Wacha simply could never get things on track. He fought his command as he surrendered a single, issued a walk, and then threw a cookie to Ishikawa for the winning home run.
Ishikawa is the unlikeliest of heroes, even on this Giants team. He had become a minor league journeyman in recent seasons, a man without a position. The injury to the aforementioned Morse opened up a spot in the outfield for him, and now he can say that he hit the home run to lead his team to the World Series.
The Giants escaped quite the jam in the top of the 9th inning, with Santiago Casilla fighting his command and eventually leaving with the bases loaded. He was bailed out by Jeremy Affeldt, who induced a groundball from young Oscar Taveras to end the threat and set up the eventual walk-off home run.
In losing this one, the Cardinals wasted an outstanding effort from Adam Wainwright. The embattled ace finally came through in these playoffs, pitching seven outstanding innings and leaving the game with a 3-2 lead for his team. Unfortunately Pat Neshek and then Wacha stumbled, with closer Trevor Rosenthal left to watch the action unfold from the St. Louis bullpen.
Madison Bumgarner was just as good for San Francisco, going eight innings and allowing three runs. He continues to be the best starting pitcher of this postseason, and now he’ll get his shot in Game 1 of the World Series.
The image you’ll remember from this game is the joyfulness with which they Giants conducted themselves late in the game. They had the benefit of a series lead, sure, but it was still incredible to see the youthful happiness from them in the late innings. Michael Morse celebrated all the way around the bases like a kid in the backyard. This was still a tense tied game after all, but look at Morse and the rest of these guys.
Even years, man. The Giants won the World Series in 2010 and 2012, and now they are back for more in 2014. That is incredible success for one of the best franchises in baseball.
The 2014 World Series is set. The San Francisco Giants are headed to face the Kansas City Royals. This sets up a showdown between two Wild Card teams that are running red hot and enjoying every minute of it.