It was do-or-die for the St. Louis Cardinals, as they stepped in to face Madison Bumgarner in game five of the NLCS. The Cardinals would counter with their own ace Adam Wainwright. Bumgarner has been outstanding throughout the entire playoffs, and Wainwright came in with an 8.00 ERA in the 2014 playoffs. Down three games to one, on the road, this seemed like an impossible task. 

The top of the first inning would things started with Jon Jay. With one out he would single to left center. Then immediately Matt Holliday would poke a single of his own into right field. Peralta, who has struggled of late, would line out into a double play to end the inning. It was a hard-hit ball, but when it rains it pours. 
San Francisco would start the bottom of the first looking to attack a struggling Adam Wainwright. Gregory Blanco singled to start things off. Blanco would reach second after a couple of outs and would step the Panda. After a long battle at the plate, Pablo Sandoval would roll one over to 2nd for the final out. 

The scoring action started in the third inning. After Tony Cruz walked to lead the inning off Adam Wainwright bunted him over to second. Matt Carpenter would also walk. Runners on first and second and one out, Jon Jay drilled a double over Ishikawa's head. That would score Cruz making it 1-0 Cardinals. With runners on second and third and 2 out, Peralta would step in once again. He got good wood on it, but flew to left for the final out. 

The bottom of the third was even more thunder. After two quick outs, Gregory Blanco single to right. Joe Panik then hit a moonshot for the Giants first home-run of the  postseason. It went over the right field wall to make it 2-1  Giants. 
Matt Adams led off the top of the fourth with a deep bomb of his own. His solo shot would tie the game at two. Tony Cruz would drill one over the left field wall for a 3-2  St. Louis lead.

The Giants 4th was more action. Pablo Sandoval led off the bottom of the fourth with a double. Hunter pence then walked. Brandon Belt then stepped up to the plate with 2-on-no-out and lined out into a double play at second on a 4-6 DP. After an Ishikawa walk, Brandon Crawford came up with first and second and two out. Wainwright would get Crawford to chase a curveball in the dirt for the final strike of the inning. St. Louis still had a 3-2 lead. 

Wainwright then began to deal. The 5th saw the Giants go 1-2-3. The 6th was a thing of beauty. He struck out Posey, Sandoval and Pence. Striking out the side and right through the heart of the San Francisco order. 

Bumgarner settled in as well. He mowed through the St. Louis order. He kept the deficit at one with Belt, Ishikawa and Crawford due up in the bottom of the 7th. Wainwright hit for himself, so everybody knew he was going to try and come out for one more inning. 

And he was still on! Belt popped up a weak one to shallow left, Ishikawa was caught looking and Crawford grounded out to Adams at first. That would be the end to Wainwright's night and it was marvelous. 

Bumgarner also came back out for one more inning. He was at about 85 pitches and continued to battle for his team. He'd get Matt Carpenter out to start the inning off. The red-hot Jon Jay came up and he rolled over  a 3-2 pitch to Belt at first base for out number two. The lefty Bumgarner would stay in to face the right-handed power-hitting Holliday and he would get him to fly out to left. 
Tim Neshek would come into the bottom of the 8th to help hold the Giants right where they were. Michael Morse would come up as a pinch-hitter and tie the game at three with a solo home-run over the left field wall. 

In the 9th the Cardinals failed to answer, and the Giants had a date with destiny. Michael Wacha was called upon out of the St. Louis bullpen. He hadn't pitched all postseason. He would load the bases off of two hits and a walk. With only one out in the inning, Travis Ishikawa would dig in to to try and drive in the winning run just 90 feet away. A Giants team that came into this game having hit absolutely no homeruns in the 2014 playoffs, would now have their third on the night. Travis Ishikawa would nail a laser shot over the brick wall in right field to send the San Francisco Giants to the 2014 World Series: 
THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!
THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!
THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!
Sorry folks, I just couldn't resist. 

It was a pleasure and an honor to cover the St. Louis Cardinals this year and postseason. Cardinal fans are the very best! I look forward to seeing all of you, bright and early, Spring Training 2015...