SF Giants take game 4, one win away from facing the Royals

Game four of the National League Championship Series was a close one between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. It was also a battle of two stellar bullpens, as Giants’ starter Ryan Vogelsong lasted just three innings and Cardinals’ starter Shelby Miller went three and two-thirds innings. In the end the Giants bullpen out lasted the Cardinals’ bullpen but not without threats by the Cardinals offense in the later innings.

The scoring started early in game four of the NLCS, with both teams getting on the board in the first inning. The Cardinals’ Matt Adams singled in Matt Carpenter, who had doubled to lead off the inning, to score the first run in the game.

The Giants answered back right away with a run of their own in the bottom of the first inning. Buster Posey hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Gregor Blanco, who like Carpenter also doubled to lead off the bottom half of the inning.

Oct 15, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong (16) hits a home run during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants in game four of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals’ hero from game three of the series Kolten Wong doubled to lead off the top of the second inning and catcher A.J. Pierzynski, in for the injured Yadier Molina, singled sharply to center scoring Wong and giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead over the Giants.

Both teams kept the game close, each scoring two runs in the third inning. The Cardinals’ Matt Holliday scored from third as Jhonny Peralta grounded into a double play. Then it was Wong’s turn again who homered on a line drive to right for his second hit of the game putting St. Louis ahead 4-1 over the Giants going into the bottom of the third.

Of course the Giants answered back. Posey got his second RBI on the night, driving in Joaquin Arias from second, with a line drive to left field. With two outs in the bottom of the inning Hunter Pence singled to center, plating Posey and cutting the Cardinals’ lead down to just a run.

The fourth inning brought some pitching changes on both sides and the game became a battle of the bullpens. Neither Volgelsong nor Miller made it very far into the game Wednesday night at ATT&T Park.

Yusmeiro Petit came in to pitch for the Giants right away in the top of the fourth. Miller, was replaced after getting two outs in the fourth, by Randy Choate who pitched just long enough to get the final out of the bottom of the fourth.

Petit pitch three solid innings for San Francisco, making through the sixth allowing just one hit, one walk and striking out four batters.

The Cardinals were not as lucky with their usually strong bullpen Wednesday night. After Carlos Martinez came in and pitched a scoreless fifth, manager Mike Matheny brought in Marco Gonzales to pitch the sixth for St. Louis.

Gonzales allowed a walk to Juan Perez to start the inning and facing the Giants’ second batter in the sixth, Brandon Crawford, he allowed a single to right. Pinch-hitter Matt Duffy laid down a perfect bunt to move the runners over and Blanco reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Perez to score from third.