Giants Magic Continues, Headed to The World Series

“And the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant!  Go crazy folks go crazy!”

Go crazy indeed.

Words do not describe the amount of energy and epic-ness that was and is unfolding in San Francisco as we speak.

If there is a reason to believe in October magic here in the Bay Area, it’s the San Francisco Giants.

With a pop-up to Marco Scutaro (off no other bat than Matt Holliday’s) in the infield, Sergio Romo recorded the final out of Game 7, shutting out the St. Louis Cardinals to become National League Champions, and sending his club to the World Series for the second time in three years.

I mean, this team just does not give up.  Who would have guessed the first Game 7 of any kind to be played in San Francisco in fifty years would result in a shut-out for the visiting team?  Not me.

The Giants were down 0-2 in the NLDS, but upon arriving in Cincinnati after tying up the series 3-3, something woke up their bats.  Something staved off the Giants from elimination through three straight victories on the road, the first time a National League team has ever accomplished this feat.  And that something is Hunter Pence, who would not give up for himself nor for his team.  With a rallying cry that brought out the true Giants, the club played their hearts out and were rewarded with a series victory.

But wait, there’s more.

After dropping the first three of four games to the St. Louis Cardinals during the NLCS, it was Barry Zito who stepped in and put the Giants where they needed to be with a win in the final game in St. Louis.  And he was amazing.  7.2 shut-out innings, allowing only six hits and one walk while striking out six.  Vintage Zito.

Still facing elimination and being down 2-3 in the series, Ryan Vogelsong picked right back up where he left off in Game 2 (where he got the win), stymieing the Cardinals line-up through seven strong innings of one-run ball.

In fact, his line was eerily similar to that of his in Game 2, except that in Game 6, he walked only one, and struck out a career high nine batters.  Not to mention that this was Vogelsong’s first ever MLB post-season, and he was undoubtedly our most untouchable pitcher throughout the NLCS, as he has pitched his team to three post-season wins.

With the series tied, San Francisco’s season rested squarely upon the shoulders of Matt “Mr. Perfect” Cain.  And boy did he deliver.

Though he only lasted 5.2 innings and struck out four, he allowed only five hits and no runs to get the win, in the most important game thus far.

Most people wrote the team off when they were down 1-3, but that was not in the cards.  They rallied.  They pitched.  They Hit.  They fielded.

Marco Scutaro was also awarded the NLCS MVP award, and there couldn’t be a more deserving candidate.

Though the Giants are the hottest team in baseball, there is not a hotter hitter individually than Marco Scutaro.  This post-season, he has batted an UN-Godly .354 (17-for-48) while striking out only once (are you kidding me?) and driving in five and scoring eight.

Hard to imagine, but this will be the 36 year old’s first World Series appearance, and garnering the coveted MVP of the series title just adds to the rarity and special significance of the occasion.

What’s even harder to imagine is that the team kept St. Louis to just one single run in the last three games (shutting them out in two of those three), and barely got any production from their All-Star catcher Buster Posey.  In fact, he was one of the least to contribute in this series (unlike what he accomplished in the division series), going 4-for-26 (a measly .154 average) and striking out six times through seven games.

But that’s okay.  It just goes to show the resilience of this team:

• Hunter Pence getting some cosmic intervention when he hit a banana for a double up the middle into left center field, scoring Scutaro, Sandoval, and Posey on a error making it 5-0 Giants.

• Marco Scutaro, Brandon Crawford, Gregor Blanco, and Brandon Belt making some amazing defensive (and offensive) plays.

• Matt Cain pitching in and out of jams to allow zero runs.

• Pablo Sandoval continued to swing a hot bat.

• The bullpen holding the Cardinal hitters to a stand-still.

• Sergio Romo nailing down the last out.

There were some amazing moments in San Francisco’s Game 7 win, and destiny was rearing it’s head throughout the course of the night.

AT&T park was electric, and both fans and players knew something great was about to happen.  And how right they were.

With their backs against the wall, this team came back from the brink of elimination in back to back series.  Taking six straight elimination wins against two of the scariest teams in baseball.

To do what this team has done is nothing short of amazing, and the Giants will continue to play with the confidence and magic they have undoubtedly earned.

The World Series will truly be great, as it will feature the two best teams in baseball in San Francisco and Detroit.

Justin Verlander will probably be the toughest pitcher the Giants will have to face this post-season, and most likely will have to see him three times during this World Series run.

But if there is a sneaky favorite to win it all, it is definitely the Giants.  They are really showing the baseball world what they are all about.  And that that is winning.