The San Francisco Giants should be familiar with how the St. Louis Cardinals are feeling, heading into Game 5 of the National League Championship Series down three games to one because just two years ago, the roles were reversed. The 2012 Giants are one of 12 teams to pull off a series victory after being down 3-1, but then, they didn't have to go through the 2014 iteration of Madison Bumgarner.
Cardinals vs. Giants, 2014 NLCS Game 5: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Madison Bumgarner looks to close out the NLCS and take the Giants to the World Series for the third time in five years.
Jamie Squire
Bumgarner has been nails thus far in the postseason, which is hardly a change from his season-long production. In three games, including Game 1 of the NLCS, Bumgarner has compiled a 0.76 ERA in 23⅔ innings. He’s struck out 23 and walked only three in that span, allowing just 14 hits.
“You know, I just focus on pitching and making pitches, whether it’s an elimination game or a game that you can clinch,” Bumgarner said Wednesday. “For me, I have to take the same mindset out there no matter what it is.”
The Cardinals will turn to grizzled veteran Adam Wainwright who has a stellar postseason career of his own, though 2014 has struck a bit of a different chord. Over two starts, Wainwright has managed a mere nine innings, and carries a bloated 8.00 ERA, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of seven-to-four. If you were thinking that Wainwright might be lagging after multiple deep runs into the postseason over the last few years, think again.
“I’m not tired at all. I’m not tired at all. I’ve battled some things this year injury‑wise that I have not battled those other years,” Wainwright said. “If my body would have felt as good as it did last year with the stuff I was featuring this year, man, would have been fun. Would have been real fun.
”But more than anything, what I want to get back into is throwing quality games in the postseason. You know, until last year’s NLCS, I was undefeated in the postseason.
Five strong postseason innings would be welcome news to the Cardinals, Wainwright’s career postseason record aside. They might need more though, given Bumgarner’s dominant stretch of late, and the Giants ability to score even without base-hits.
Game time: 8:07 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports 1
Radio: ESPN Radio (affiliate locator)
Streaming: FoxSportsGo
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