San Francisco Giants: 15 Greatest Moments at AT&T Park

10. Madison Bumgarner’s Game Five Masterpiece

The 2014 World Series was the definition of a seesaw battle. It seemed as if, every night, one team stole the momentum of the other. After evening up the series the night before in comeback fashion, the Giants sent their ace to the mound, hoping to inch closer to glory. Bumgarner was in the midst of a historic postseason going into his Game Five start, as he was fresh off an impressive performance in Game One.

However, the national media chose to doubt Bumgarner and the Giants, wondering how the same man can dominate a World Series lineup multiple times. Furthermore, the Kansas City Royals were the overwhelming favorites to win the Series, as 67 percent of the country supported Kansas City to only 33 percent for San Francisco. Luckily for the orange and black, Bumgarner does not care about the odds or the pressure. He welcomes it with open arms.

It was apparent after a dominant first inning that Bumgarner meant business, as he executed his pitches with force. Bumgarner and catcher Buster Posey had an excellent strategy to attack the young Royals hitters early in the count and use their inexperience against them by making them chase at pitches out of the strike zone. Bochy allowed his ace to finish the job, even when the Giants built a commanding lead in the game.

After all the excitement was over, Bumgarner still wasn’t finished as just three days later, his five-inning save etched is name in the record books as the most successful pitcher in World Series history.

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