Tonight's pitching match-up was interested, as two aces faced each other.
Lefthander Madison Bumgarner started for San Francisco and righthander Jake Arrieta started for Chicago.
Bumgarner was 15-9 this season with a 2.74 ERA and struckout 251 batters in 226 2/3 inning.
His 251 strikeouts were the most in Giants-history by a lefthanded pitcher.
The previous record was 244, which was set by Cy Seymour in 1898!
Bumgarner faced the Cubs twice this year and was the winning pitcher both times.
He is 8-2 in 12 career starts against the Cubs.
Last week, Bumgarner went the distance for the Giants in the Wild Card-game against the New York Mets.
Tonight was his 16th postseason-appearance in his career.
Arrieta was 18-8 this season with a 3.10 ERA with 190 strikeouts in 197 1/3 inning.
This year, Arrieta started two games against the Giants and was 1-1.
In his career, he is 4-2 against the Giants.
In the top of the first inning, Kris Bryant doubled for Chicago with one out, advanced on a grounder, but then was left behind.
In the bottom of the first, Jake Arrieta struckout the first two batters, then gave up a single to Buster Posey, but closed with another strikeout.
He then also struck offensively moments later.
With one out in the top of the second inning, Addison Russell was hit by a pitch from Madison Bumgarner, then Javier Baez singled.
Hereafter, Miguel Montero lined out and that brought Jake Arrieta in the batter's box.
With two outs and two strikes, Arrieta hit a line drive into leftfield for a 3-run homerun!
Hereafter, Dexter Fowler singled and Kris Bryant walked, but the inning ended when a line drive by Anthony Rizzo was caught.
...In 2013, San Francisco's AT&T Park was the site of...
...the Final and Semi-Finals in the World Baseball Classic...
...In front is a statue of famous Giants-slugger Willie McCovey...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Before tonight, Bumgarner had a scoreless streak of 23 innings in the postseason, the fifth longest by a National League-pitcher in postseason-history.
Besides that, it was the first time ever in Bumgarner's career that he gave up a homerun to a pitcher!
On Saturday, reliever Travis Wood also homered for the Cubs.
With that, Chicago became the first team to have two pitchers hit a homerun in the same postseason since the New York Giants did it in 1924.
In the top of the third, Ben Zobrist doubled with one out for the Cubs and Addison Russell followed with a single, but a strikeout and flyout followed.
The Giants then scored their first run in the bottom of the third.
With one out, Denard Span doubled and scored on a 2-out single by Buster Posey.
The Giants then narrowed the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth inning.
With one out, Denard Span tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly into deep rightfield by Brandon Belt.
Buster Posey then followed with his third basehit of the evening, but stranded.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Dominican Pedro Strop took over the pitching for Chicago-starter Jake Arrieta.
Strop retired the first two batters, then was relieved by Travis Wood, who saw Denard Span line out to leftfield to end the inning.
Some years ago, Strop was considered to pitch for the Netherlands National Baseball Team during the World Baseball Classic because of his Dutch background.
In 2013, he pitched for the Dominican Republic, which then won the Classic.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Giants got both the tying and go-ahead run on base.
Brandon Belt led off with a single off of Travis Wood, who then was replaced by Hector Rondon.
He walked Buster Posey and that brought out Manager Joe Maddon again to the mound.
He brought in hardthrowing Aroldis Chapman the close the game for the Cubs, but that didn't work out.
The Cuban struckout Hunter Pence, but then gave up a 2-run triple to Conor Gillaspie to deep centerfield, which gave the Giants a 4-3 lead!
Gillaspie, who was the hero of the Wild Card-game by hitting a 3-run homerun in the 9th inning, now struck again!
It also were the first runs the Giants scored this entire season off of Cubs-relievers, who had held them scoreless for 33 1/3 inning!
Moments later, Gillaspie scored an insurance run on a single by Brandon Crawford.
The latter then stole second base and advanced on a throwing error, then Joe Panik walked.
That marked the end for Chapman, who was replaced by Justin Grimm.
With Crawford on third and Panik on first base, Cubs-catcher Willson Contreras made a pick-off to third base, but threw the bal on the elbow of Crawford.
On the throwing error, Panik advanced to second base.
The two were left behind, but the Giants had turned the game around (so it appeared) and were now leading 5-3.
...Kris Bryant, who homered for the Cubs in the 9th inning, played...
...for Team USA in the 2012 Haarlem Baseball Week in the...
...Netherlands; Here, he takes a sliding against Japan...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Legendary Yankee-catcher Yogi Berra always said ''It ain't over 'till it's over'' and his famous quote is underscored over and over!
Including tonight, as the Cubs came alongside again in the top of the ninth!
Closer Sergio Romo took over the Giants-pitching, but walked lead-off hitter Dexter Fowler.
Hereafter, Kris Bryant followed with a 2-run homerun that tied the score!
Romo then retired the next three batters, but it had become a new ballgame.
In the bottom of the ninth, Mike Montgomery became the new pitcher for the Cubs.
With one out, he walked Brandon Belt.
Hereafter, Buster Posey lined the ball into rightfield for an apparent extra-basehit (and possible game-winner), but rightfielder Albert Almora, Jr. made a great diving catch and then was able to double up Belt (who already was en route to third base) on first base to end the inning.
And with that, the game went into extra innings!
Both teams were retired in order in the tenth inning.
The Cubs also were retired in order in the eleventh, but the Giants then got the winning run on second base in its eleventh.
Joe Panik led off with a single, then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Gregor Blanco.
With Panik on second base, Giants-Manager Bruce Bochy inserted Trevor Brown as pinch-hitter.
He was the last position player he had left on his bench.
Angel Pagan also wasn't used yet, but he was not available due to an injury.
However, Panik stranded on second base and so, the game went to the twelfth inning.
In the top of the 12th, with one out, Albert Almora, Jr. lined the ball into centerfield, where Denard Span made a great catch.
Initially, it was ruled that Span had trapped the ball, but that was overturned after a challenge.
With that, Almora, who already was standing on second base, was called out.
In the top of the 13th, with one out, Javier Baez and Willson Contreras both singled for the Cubs.
But hereafter, pinch-hitter David Ross grounded into a double play.
The out-call at first base was challenged, but was upheld and so, the inning ended.
The Giants then decided the game in the bottom of the 13th inning, while the time was approaching midnight.
Brandon Crawford led off with a double, then scored when next batter Joe Panik also doubled!
And that ended a marathon-game, that lasted five hours and four minutes!
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Giants avoid sweep with win in marathon-thriller
SAN FRANCISCO, California (USA) -
San Francisco Giants avoided a 3-game sweep by winning 6-5 on Monday-evening (October 10) in a 13-inning thriller against Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the best-of-five National League Division Series.
With the win, the Giants forced a fourth game that will be played on Tuesday.
San Francisco trailed 3-2 in the eighth inning, but then rallied for three runs and appeared to turn the game their way.
However, the Cubs came alongside in the top of the ninth on a 2-run homerun by Kris Bryant.
The Giants then won the game (which took more than five hours) in the 13th inning on a walk-off double by Joe Panik!
The Cubs opened the Series on Friday-evening with an 1-0 victory, which came on an 8th inning homerun by Javier Baez.
Chicago then also won Game Two on Saturday-evening, winning 5-2.
In that game, relief pitcher Travis Wood homered for the Cubs in the fourth inning.