World Series Game 7, Giants Vs Royals Final Score: San Francisco Giants Win 3-2, Are World Champions

By Hayden Kane | Oct 29, 2014

Oct 29, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (right) celebrates with catcher Buster Posey after defeating the Kansas City Royals during game seven of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

The San Francisco Giants are World Series champions for the third time in five years, having defeated the Kansas City Royals on the road in Game 7 by a final score of 3-2.

7. 3. 40. Final. 2

In an era of pitch counts, specialized relievers, and optimal bullpen use, one pitcher stood out from the rest in this year’s World Series. Each manager was committed to frequent substitutions and aggressive bullpen usage, with one noted exception: if Madison Bumgarner was pitching for the San Francisco Giants, it was his show.

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Game 7 became Bumgarner’s third star showing of the World Series. Once he was in the game, pitching on two days rest, it felt like the fate of the Series had been decided. The star lefty entered in the fifth inning with the plan to throw 40-50 pitches.

Bumgarner never came out of the game.

In total, he threw another five shutout innings, the most of any pitcher in this game. He set the record for postseason innings, keyed a 3-2 victory in Game 7, and ran away with the World Series MVP award.

The end was not without drama, however. Alex Gordon got himself on third base as the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Bumgarner escaped, getting Salvador Perez to pop out.

Ned Yost and the Royals put themselves in a position to win; they simply came up a little bit short. Yost rode the stars in his bullpen hard, including Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Greg Holland. There wasn’t much else they could do; Bumgarner and the Giants were too much by the slimmest of margins in a seven-game series.

Not to be overlooked is the good work of Jeremy Affeldt out of the bullpen for the Giants. After starting pitcher Tim Hudson lasted less than two innings for the Giants, Affeldt bridged the 2.1 innings to get this game from Bumgarner. San Francisco handed a one-run lead to their ace, and the rest was the next chapter in history.

Offensively the Giants chipped away, as they are known to do. Mike Morse and Brandon Crawford delivered sacrifice flies in the second inning. Then, after Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence singled in the fourth inning to lead things off, Morse delivered again with an RBI single. There were many stars for the Giants in this World Series, but Sandoval and Pence are at the top of the list.

It was a heck of a ride for the Royals. They were so close, and they will still be one of the best stories of the 2014 season.

In the end, the story of this World Series was Madison Bumgarner. He was simply too much for the Royals, and now the Giants are World Champions for the third time in five years.

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