SF 11, KC 4: Giants score 10 unanswered runs to even World Series at 2-2
The San Francisco Giants needed someone to step up to avoid falling in a 3-1 series hole and their inspiration leader answered the call with a memorable performance.
Hunter Pence went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and scored twice as Giants staged a come-from-behind 11-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the Fall Classic to level the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
Pence led a potent Giants attack that hung 16 hits on Royals pitchers, which included 10 knocks and eight runs against Kansas City's dominant bullpen. The Royals 'pen had allowed only nine runs in 48 2/3 postseason innings coming into Game 4. Brandon Finnegan took the brunt of the offensive assault, allowing five runs on five hits to take the loss.
Eleven different Giants had at least one hit to set a club postseason record and Joe Panik and Pablo Sandoval drove in two runs apiece. Reliever Yusmeiro Petit, who earned the win with three scoreless innings, even got in on the action with a single to join a long line of San Francisco hitters to have success at the dish in the World Series.
The last 3 pitchers to get a hit in the World Series have been Giants - Yusmeiro Petit tonight, Barry Zito in 2012 and Matt Cain in 2010.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 26, 2014
The Royals put up four runs in the third inning to take a commanding 4-1 lead behind an Omar Infante two-run single, but the Giants chipped away to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth inning. That set the stage for Sandoval to deliver a two-run single as part of a three-run sixth inning to give San Francisco a 7-4 advantage. The Giants would tack on four more runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
Starting pitchers' lines
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Vargas | 4+ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Ryan Vogelsong | 2.2 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
X-factor
Giants right-hander Yusmeiro Petit came on in relief in the fourth inning and tossed three scoreless frames to keep San Francisco in the ballgame and eventually earn the win after Kansas City took a 4-1 lead. Petit surrendered just two hits and is proving to be one of manager Bruce Bochy's most reliable arms out of the bullpen. His postseason numbers to this point: 3-0, 12 shutout innings, four hits allowed, 13 strikeouts.
Highlights
Royals pitcher Jason Vargas produced one of the best bloopers of the season when he thought he drew a bases-loaded walk. The only problem: the count was 2-2 prior to the pitch.
Pablo Sandoval's single in the sixth scores a pair to give the Giants a 6-4 lead and spark an offensive onslaught.
Quote of the Night
Yost on if it will go 7: "somewhere inside of me I hoped it would go 7 games for the excitement and the thrill of it. Sure looks that way."
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) October 26, 2014
Up Next
The two clubs will do battle in a pivotal Game 5 on Sunday night in what is now a best-of-three series. It's the final contest of the World Series at AT&T Park before the scene shifts to Kansas City for the last two games. Both teams will send their respective aces to the hill in a Game 1 rematch. The Giants will call on left-hander Madison Bumgarner (3-1, 1.40 ERA) to match up with Royals righty James Shields (1-1, 7.71 ERA). Bumgarner picked up the win in Game 1 after tossing seven innings of one-run ball, while Shields was rocked for five runs over three frames to take the loss.