San Francisco Giants 3-2 Kansas City Royals: 2014 World Series - as it happened!

...he’s incredible, he’s a different human being.

Michael Morse with indisputable insight on the Giants World Series MVP, Madison Bumgarner.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 9th

Perez fights off another high fastball. Epic encounter here...

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 9th

The count is even at two as Bumgarner misses high on his 66th pitch.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 9th

It’s 1-2 to Perez. The Royals are down to their final strike!

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 9th

Can Madison Bumgarner put it away?

No! It’s a base hit! And there’s more - it’s misplayed in the outfield, it gets past Blanco in center and goes all the way to the wall!

Gordon is in to third and thy tying run is 90 feet away on a single and two base error on Blanco.

Now it’s Perez at the plate with the season on the line!

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 9th

Butler pops up to the left side - it’s in foul territory and it’s going to stay in play. Belt has it for the second out.

It all comes down to Alex Gordon now....

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 9th

Now it’s 2-2 after Hosmer pops into the left field stands. Both teams on the top step, everybody up at The K.

And Bumgarner blows him away with the high cheddar!

One down!

Here is Beer League Billy, who has some power...

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 9th

So here is Bumgarner looking for the five inning save, which is just a wild thing to hear.

Hosmer is first - he had some dramatic hits early in these playoffs. How about now?

Bumgarner is behind in the count, 2-0...

That is the only run that Bumgarner has allowed in four World Series starts and four innings of relief.

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 9th

The count is full and every one at Kauffman Stadium is on their feet.

They let out a roar as Crawford swings and misses to end the inning.

We head to the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series with the home team needing a run to tie it up.

And Madison Bumgarner is coming out of the dugout to try and win a third title in five seasons for his Giants.

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 9th

Greg Holland is on in relief of Davis to keep the Giants close in their half of the ninth. He’s off to a good start, getting Brandon Belt to ground to second.

Now it’s Morse, who is in the hole 1-2. Now he’s in the dugout. He chases junk low and away and that’s the second out.

Crawford steps in...

Nicholas Bonnell writes:

Madison seems smooth, but this has been and still is a nerve wracking game. I don’t hear lots of screaming, clapping, or car horns from the neighborhood. Maybe my radio is on too loud to hear the neighbors. What a game.

The bullpens have been great for both teams tonight.

Now what?

Take out Bumgarner? That would only represent hope to the Royals lineup because right now there is none.

I would take it at-bat by at-bat.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 8th

Cain pops to Panik and the inning is over. MADISON BUMGARNER IS DEMORALIZING AND DOMINANT!

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 8th

Cain in the hole 1-2, takes a hack and fouls it off to right. Lorenzo is still in there...

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 8th

Bochy said Bumgarner could go 45 to 50 pitches and he’s in that zone....even though it doesn’t really matter because the guy is a total animal.

Aoki grounds out to short. Four outs left for KC.

Her’s Lorenzo Cain who has a knack for timing.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 8th

Escobar is in the hole 0-2 and then Bumgarner just misses outside.

Then Escobar checks his swing on a high fastball - first base umpire Eric Cooper says he went!

Royals down to five outs now, and here is Aoki.

I’ll let them answer that.

Doesn’t look it, no.

No one. They get around that bunch...

They get around that bunch...

Michael Aston writes...

Hey David, the wine can wait and no real fan drinks wine (they tend to own the team), Kansas is due and beer rules most mortals...

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 8th

Sandoval! He lines a ball past a diving Mike Moustakas and that’s going to the a double to left!

A runner in scoring position for the hungry Pence who looks like a squirrel with a speedy heart rate, desperate to get that insurance run home.

He doesn’t - he grounds to second. Inning over.

Now Madison Bumgarner is heading back out to try and get through the Royals one more time before handing the ball to closer Santiago Casilla.

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 8th

Davis continues his strong outing - Panik watches the third strike hit the corner. Then Posey grounds out to second.

Now Sandoval is back in the box - he’s already been on base three times this game.

Antonio Guerra writes:

Conforming to the San Franciscan stereotype, I’m guzzling a nice Bordeaux. The wine is failing to calm my nerves. Good Lord, please don’t let this game go to extra innings.

Oh, it’s possible. Do you have another bottle?

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 7th

Infante strikes out! Bumgarner walks off the mound like he’s heading to the curb to get his mail and we head to the eight.

What can you say about the big left-hander...we are watching history.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 7th

Perez pops to right and Pence puts it away. Now Moustakas is in the hole 0-2 before he grounds to Sandoval - he reaches onto the dirt, picks it up and throws in time to get the Royals third baseman.

And Bumgarner is showing no signs of slowing down despite pitching just two days ago.

Infante steps in - he had the only hit against MadBum two innings ago. How about now?

Emil Levendoglu writes:

That rendition of GBA sucked seven different kinds of arse.

I’m not sure I’m familiar with each variety, but I can say that the song has no place at all in the seventh inning stretch.

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 7th

Blanco shows bunt but Davis misses away. Then he comes back and paints the corner so Blanco is in the hole 1-2.

Then Davis misses high and away and then tight, and so the count is full.

David deals, a ground ball to short, Escobar, to his right, backhand stab, he throws across his body in time to get Perez!

Fantastic play and the Giants are done in the seventh! It’s stretch time!

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 7th

Wade Davis is on in relief of Herrera who was superb.

The Royals reliever starts off by sending Crawford back where he came from - it’s a strikeout for the first out.

Juan Perez in the ninth hole - and the Bronx product goes down swinging - Davis is bringing it!

Two down, Blanco is at the plate.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 6th

Butler pops to center as “oh, damn” can be overheard coming from Beer League. He’s frustrated and there could be more of that to come.

FOX are talking about the pitch count on Bumgarner. Let me tell you about pitch counts...this is Game 7 of the f*&*ing World Series. Go put those pitch counts somewhere else.

Gordon flies out to left, and the Royals are done in the sixth. Do we start talking about how many outs KC are down to yet?

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 6th

Hosmer pops it up to the left side, Crawford steps back onto the outfield grass and makes the catch for the first out.

And, um, Bumgarner is settling in now, and that’s not good for KC and their fans.

Here’s Beer League Billy.

Defense is leaving its mark all over this game - it’s just terrific to watch.

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 6th

Kauffman Stadium is in hysterics as Morse watches a filthy fastball go by for the third out!

Herrera, 2.2IP, no runs, three hits and four strikeouts. Can’t ask for more.

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 6th

Herrera is out for more...a very very long inning for the short reliever.

Sandoval leads off the inning with a bad-ball base hit and Panda is on base again...or should I say he was on base.

Pence, a grounder to short - Escobar has it, he throws to second for one, Infante fires to first for the double play! Two outs, one time!

It’s up to Belt in the Giants sixth. And he lines a single to right on a 99 MPH heater - that’s his second hit of the night.

Now the dangerous Michael Morse steps in, and he can do some serious damage.

That makes a heck of a lot of sense...

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 5th

Cain chases high heat! The inning is over!

The Bumgarner that looked a wee bit shaky in the early part of the inning, left as the dominant lefty.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 5th

Bumgarner falls behind again, it’s 2-0 before the big southpaw deals a 90 MPH strike.

Aoki laces one to left field - and Perez is there to make the catch! A fine play by Perez and I don’t even know how he was able to get to that ball - positioning can be the only answer.

It’s like he knew it was coming.

So two down and here’s Lorenzo Cain looking for that run scoring knock to try and tie this up.

He’s down in the count 0-2 and Bumgarner is warming up, his velocity increasing...

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 5th

Crowd hooting, hollering - they want orange blood. MadBum checks Infante at first...

Now Escobar is showing bunt, and he lays down a sacrifice that sends Infante to second base.

One down, a runner in scoring position for Nori Aoki who has never had as much as a sniff against Bumgarner - no hits in 16 at-bats.

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 5th

Infante pokes a single to right and KC have the leadoff man on! Oh Nellie!!!!

Top of the order now, and here comes Alcides Escobar!

I love baseball!!!!

And I quote...

If it’s going reasonably well, I’d expect to see him around the fifth inning, and if he’s effective, MadBum could be the bridge to closer Santiago Casilla.

-David Lengel

That’s right, I’m quoting myself in a live blog in the seventh game of the World Series, which is completely and totally ridiculous! And so is Bumgarner in on two days rest in the biggest spot you can imagine!

How will it end?

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 5th

They are waving towels in KC- Herrera has Posey in the hole 0-2 before he misses outside.

Herrera paints the inside corner, Nelson calls out Posey and the Giants catcher is giving the ump some lipservice on that call.

But never mind that, here comes Madison Bumgarner!

I think I’m excited.

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 5th

Panik throws a nasty sinking changeup by Panik for the second out.

Now the slumping Posey comes up still looking for that break out at-bat...

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 5th

Blanco lifts on to left that’s drifting to the corner, but Gordon has a beat n it and is able to make the catch for the first out.

Panik steps in, and then tries to drop down a bunt with no success. Now he’s in the hole 0-2 and fouls one away. He’s still alive.

Aidan Tribble writes:

If you’re Bruce Bochy, and you haven’t had a starting pitcher other than Madison Bumgarner pitch reliably, or even close to it... Why don’t you start him for four innings or so? As a Giants fan I trust him infinitely more than either Hudson or Peavy.

Well, we don’t know what you’re going to get out of Bumgarner on two days rest, and perhaps it’s better to have him later in the game.

Oh look, he’s warming up right now...

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 4th

Moustakas grounds to third, Sandoval gobbles it up and throws over to first to retire the Royals in the fourth.

The Madison Bumgarner watch is on...

Giants 3-2 Royals, bottom 4th

Alex Gordon is hit by a Jeremy Affeldt curveball in the back.

And then he is instantly wiped out - Perez grounds to Panik at second, he flips to Crawford for one, and the Giants shortstop fires to first to complete the 4-6-3 DP! That’s the second double play in two innings, and it wipes a bit of starch off the crowd at the K.

Moustakas is the two-out batter as Tim Lincecum warms up in the pen.

Jeremy Guthrie

Here’s the line...

3.1IP 4H 3R 3ER 0BB 3SO 0HR

He was better than Hudson, and, well, he was better than Hudson.

I’m not sure you can assume a tag up from first base to second...

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 4th

Here, Perez grounds to short, and that’s easy for Escobar, he throws to first, in time to get the runner and the Royals are out of the jam.

But not after they allow the Giants to take a one run lead here in the fourth!

Giants 3-2 Royals, top 4th

Herrera paints the corner - that’s a big strikeout right there.

Two down now for Juan Perez, who had a huge hit in Game 5 during the Giants 5-0 win.

Giants 2-2 Royals, top 4th

Belt lifts one to left - Gordon backs up a few steps but he has it. And there goes Panda!! He’s tagging up and slides into third safe!

And just like Gordon did in the second inning, Pablo Sandoval tags up on a fly ball to left field, the kind of play that can only happen in a handful of big league ballparks and Kauffman Stadium is one of them. Now the Giants can take the lead on a sacrifice fly.

Terrific baserunning and defense so far in this ballgame. Meanwhile, here comes Yost to get Guthrie.

Kelvin Herrera, one of the big three in the KC bullpen is heading in to face the slugging DH Michael Morse in what is a big at-bat.

Giants 2-2 Royals, top 4th

Sandoval grounds to Infante at second - he makes a bare handed grab but slips and the throw is not in time!

The Giants have a lead runner on for Hunter Pence, who promptly lifts a bloop to center - it’s in front of Cain and the Giants are in business in the fourth.

KC pitching coach is out to talk to Guthrie, when really Ned Yost should be out here with his hook. I have no idea why Guthrie is still pitching right now.

Here’s Belt at the plate.

The man from Yonkers certainly did - if he can’t make that play it’s first and third with nobody out and Kauffman Stadium explodes.

Giants 2-2 Royals, bottom 3rd

Defense and a challenge bail out the Giants in the third - Butler grounds to short and the inning is over.

Giants 2-2 Royals, bottom 3rd

Lorenzo Cain battles with Jeremy Affeldt - he’s thrown six pitches and the count is 1-2.

Then the Giants lefty misses outside to even the count. Next pitch - Cain, lines a single to right field!

So the Giants can’t get that leading lady here in the third and that’s usually trouble. Hosmer is next.

Why does it feel like the Giants are down when the score is tied?

Tim Hudson

Who thought we’d be giving you his line this early?

OK, probably a lot of you.

1.2IP 3H 2R 2ER 1BB 1SO 0HR

On any other day he’d be given a chance to right himself. This is not ever other day.

Giants 2-2 Royals, top 3rd

Panik is down looking - strike three!

Then Posey waves at a ball away! KC fans are going to tear the house down!

The Giants go 1-2-3 in the third!

Giants 2-2 Royals, top 3rd

Blanco lines back to the pitcher and Guthrie handles it, then tosses over to first to get the Giants leadoff man.

Joe Panik in a 0-2 hole now...

Giants 2-2 Royals, bottom 2nd

So here is Affeldt, who has provided 21 consecutive scoreless appearances in the postseason.

He faces Aoki, who had a big hit last night early on in that big second inning for the Royals.

It’s a chopper up the middle - Crawford has it and is able to hop onto second base for the force play.

The side is retired, but both teams have already traded barbs and the wheels are turning in this Game 7!

It just can’t get much better.

Giants 2-2 Royals, bottom 2nd

Top of the lineup now and Escobar wastes no time, knocking a base hit to left field, advancing the struggling Perez to second.

And that will do it for Tim Hudson - Giants manager Bruce Bochy is out to get his man because there is absolutely no messing around here.

Jeremny Affeldt is on his way in to try and limit any further damage. Cue the organ!

Giants 2-1 Royals, bottom 2nd

Moustakas flies to Perez in right and here comes Gordon - he’s tagging up....and he’s SAFE!

That is an enormously ballsy move by Gordon there but it means that KC are a sac-fly away from evening this game at two.

Omar Infante steps in with runners at the corners and one out.

Giants 2-1 Royals, bottom 2nd

Now Sweet smelling Salvador Perez is drilled in the left knee! He will head to first but the KC catcher is limping to first!

If he can’t continue, that’s a big blow to the Royals. Eric Kratz is the back up catcher for KC, he hasn’t had a single at-bat all series long.

Perez continues. Tim Lincecum and Jeremy Affeldt are warming up in the San Francisco bullpen.

So now there’s nobody out, runners at first and second, with lefty Mike Moustakas at the plate.

Giants 2-0 Royals, bottom 2nd

Let’s see how KC respond to an early deficit.

So far, so good - Billy Butler lines a single right up the middle and the Royals have the lead runner on.

That will bring up Alex Gordon, who is really struggling. Can he snap out of it?

Giants 2-0 Royals, top 2nd

Perez waves at strike three and that will do it for the Giants, but not after they plate two big runs and take an early advantage!

Giants 0-0 Royals, top 2nd

The crowd is up in support of Guthrie and the Royals. Belt pulls a ball through the right side and that’s a base hit!

That means the bases are full of Giants with the DH, Michael Morse coming to the plate and nobody out!

Nobody is up in the Royals pen just yet.

Giants 0-0 Royals, top 2nd

Pence does not care about being in the hole, he’s loves it. And now he has a base hit through the left side of the infied!

Sandoval moves to second - two on, no outs, and Guthrie is walking into the situation room here with left Brandon Belt stepping in.

Giants 0-0 Royals, top 2nd

Pablo Sandoval carries his .429 World Series batting average over to first base after being grazed by a Guthrie offering.

The Giants have the leadoff man on and here’s that pesky Hunter Pence.

He’s immediately in the hole at 0-2.

Giants 0-0 Royals, bottom 1st

Huddy catches the corner and home plate umpire Jeff Nelson calls strike three!

Cain was running on the pitch, sliding safely into second...except the inning was already over.

So both starters start by putting up a pair of blanks. The plot thickens.

Giants 0-0 Royals, bottom 1st

Cain, a broken bat ground ball down to Sandoval at third base - Panda has it, fires to second for the force play, but the throw over to first is not in time.

So Cain beats it out and stands at first with two outs and here comes Eric Hosmer to the plate.

Giants 0-0 Royals, bottom 1st

Aoki walks. So after pitching ahead, Hudson losses the batter and now he has to face Lorenzo Cain, so vital to this Royals run, with one man on and one man down. And now he falls behind inside...a few little cracks here. Will they grow?

Giants 0-0 Royals, bottom 1st

Hudson, a ball inside in the dirt forces Aoki to retreat. Then he misses away so the count is full and the crowd are on their feet, berserk....

Giants 0-0 Royals, bottom 1st

Escobar hits an absolute rope to left field but it is right to Juan Perez who has it for out number one. Now it’s Aoki. Hudson is ahead again at 1-2, a good sign for he and the Giants.

Giants 0-0 Royals, bottom 1st

So here is 39-year-old Tim Hudson, who is the oldest pitcher to start a Game 7.

Leading off for KC is, as usual, Alcides Escobar, and a Huddy cutter is too much for the Royals shortstop, who is in the hole 1-2....

Giants 0-0 Royals, top 1

Posey breaks his bat - the ball is hit to third...Mike Moustakas dives to his left - he has it! Moooose is up, firest to first, in time to get the Giants catcher. Great play, inning over! Giants go 1-2-3 in the first.

Giants 0-0 Royals, top 1

A few changeups to start - I don’t really get how you can start a game off with changeups because you have nothing to change speeds from...but never mind - we have an out!

Blanco lifts a ball to center field, Lorenzo Cain is under it and there is one down.

Now it’s Joe Panik, batting left with Guthrie a righty.

A little ground ball on the right side - Hosmer is there and he has it, flips to Guthrie covering the bag and there’s two outs.

Here is Posey who has had his problems.

Prediction

This is so tight that I could not begin to tell you who will win this game, but eeni-meeni just told me the Royals would...but did not provide a score.

Hey, they got this far - why not go all the way?

Hey, I hear ya. I think your score was generous. Bring back the orchestra!

And here they are, your Kansas City Royals!

1. Alcides Escobar, SS
2. Nori Aoki, RF
3. Lorenzo Cain, CF
4. Eric Hosmer, 1B
5. Billy Butler, DH
6. Alex Gordon, LF
7. Salvador Perez, C
8. Mike Moustakas, 3B
9. Omar Infante, 2B

It’s the same lineup that crushed San Francisco in Game 6 last night, which makes a ton of sense.

Game 7s

Since 1979 the home team has won nine consecutive Game 7s, and that’s a lot. If you’re into data then this stat makes the call for you...

National Anthem

Joyce DiDonato, an “operatic lyric-coloratura mezzo-soprano” just destroyed the National Anthem, and left anyone within 20,000 miles vibrating.

I don’t have enough zeroes to rank that one.

San Francisco Giants

1. Gregor Blanco, CF
2. Joe Panik, 2B
3. Buster Posey, C
4. Pablo Sandoval, 3B
5. Hunter Pence, RF
6. Brandon Belt, 1B
7. Michael Morse, DH
8. Brandon Crawford, SS
9. Juan Perez, LF

One change here - Crawford moves up a spot and Juan Perez is in for Travis Ishikawa.

George Brett

The Royals Hall-of-Fame third baseman appeared on FOX and said he walked into the clubhouse earlier and saw two guys taking a nap and another eating a sandwich.

So the Royals are relaxed.

This is in stark contrast to Brett’s experience the night before Game 7 in 1985 when the Royals beat the St Louis Cardinals for the title. Brett says he woke up at 3:36am, fell asleep, woke up, looked at the clock and it was three minutes later. He was a bit more wound up...

Brett likes Billy Butler and Salvador Perez to play major parts tonight.

And finally, since we’re talking about Brett, this is my chance to post the George Brett story, which somehow I have resisted posting all series. Since this is Game 7, there’s no tomorrow.

Enjoy.

Madison Bumgarner

There’s been just a little bit of talk about his availability tonight, and we learn from FOX TV in the US that Bruce Bochy will use his ace for 45 or 50 pitches if necessary. Bochy also said that the team never considered giving him the start in Game 7, that he is not a toy but an important player who has his career in front of him.

If it’s going reasonably well, I’d expect to see him around the fifth inning, and if he’s effective, MadBum could be the bridge to closer Santiago Casilla.

The 2014 World Series - how we got here

Looking to catch up on the Fall Classic? Here are links to our live coverage of games 1-6. Consider it a one-stop World Series shop.

• Game 1
  
• Game 2
  
• Game 3
  
• Game 4
• Game 5
• Game 6