MLB 2014 NLDS: Giants win Game 4 3-2, advance to NLCS

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez will toe the rubber for the Nationals, while the Giants will counter with veteran righty Ryan Vogelsong. That Gonzalez will start in Game 4 speaks to how deep and talented Washington’s rotation is. The 29-year-old has been a strong performer since being traded to the Nationals in 2012, and he finished with a 3.57 ERA and 3.02 FIP in 27 starts during the 2014 season.

Vogelsong has given the Giants some strong outings in the playoffs in recent years, but the 37-year-old’s 2014 campaign was an uneven one. The righty was lit up early in April and again through much of June and July before bouncing back in August. Overall, Vogelsong finished with a 4.00 ERA in 184⅔ innings, striking out 151 batters and walking 58. He has posted a 1.09 ERA through four postseason starts with the Giants, all in 2012.

For many years, one of the most famous botched plays in baseball history, probably as famous in its own way as “Merkle’s Boner,” was a blown rundown in which Giants third baseman Heinie Zimmerman participated in 1917, when the Giants played the White Sox in a World Series of the morally bankrupt versus the ethically vacant. The White Sox led the Series three games to two when Game 6 commenced at the Polo Grounds in New York on Oct. 15. The game was scoreless in the top of the fourth when Zimmerman helped Eddie Collins (the word “helped” is used pointedly) reach when he threw away his ground ball to third. An error by the right fielder allowed Collins to reach third. The next batter, Happy Felsch, tapped back to the mound. Collins was trapped off of third. A rundown ensued. The catcher threw the ball to Zimmerman. Collins somehow got through the catcher. No one was behind him, so there was no one to throw the ball to.

Helpless, Zimmerman chased Collins down the line and across the plate. “Who the hell was I supposed to throw to,” Zimmerman supposedly said, “[home plate umpire Bill] Klem?”

You were supposed to throw a STRIKE when the blimp was overhead, Madison Bumgarner:

Now we have to turn the whole blimp around and start the prank over.

All season, the Giants have been doing a dugout “YES!” chant after home runs. So the originator of the chant, Daniel Bryan, is at AT&T Park tonight to be their cheerleader.

Just no one tell him that the Nationals have much better beards.

As for whom Fister will be facing on Monday in this win-or-go-home affair:

San Francisco leads the best-of-five series 2-0.

The Nationals lost their first game of the postseason, a 3-2 loss to the Giants in the National League Division Series. Former National and current Giant Michael Morse is too hurt to play in the series, but not too hurt to travel with the team and get the newspaper delivered to his hotel room.

Third from left, leaning on his bat. That’s Michael Morse -- again, currently on the Giants -- in a Nationals uniform. Behind him is a dugout lip that reads “POSTSEASON 2012.” Behind that are people in parkas and tauntaun blubber, even though it was in the mid-70s for yesterday’s game.

We understand why this is happening -- these are Giants fans at Game 1 against the Nats, because Pablo Sandoval’s nickname. We don’t quite understand what is happening:

The unison, the desperation, the solemnity -- all while wearing panda suits. This is a great GIF.

Through four innings, Jake Peavy hadn’t allowed a hit to the Nationals. In the top of the fifth, Bryce Harper hit one off Brandon Belt’s glove, and the no-hitter was over. Bryce Harper was excited.

Everyone was excited! The Nationals Park crowd was excited! Wilson Ramos stepped in the box, and five seconds later ...

The NLDS kicks off on Friday afternoon with Game 1 between the visiting San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals. Jake Peavy, acquired before the trade deadline to replace the injured Matt Cain, gets the nod for San Fran, while Stephen Strasburg takes the hill for the Nats.

This is your standard Giants lineup with no surprises, but unlike in the Wild Card round against the Pirates, when Edinson Volquez was their opponent, they have a serious challenge ahead of them in Strasburg.The right-hander threw 215 innings, crossing the 200-inning mark for the first time in his career, took all 34 turns in the rotation, and struck out 5.6 times as many batters as he walked. The Giants offense is better than it looks thanks to their pitcher-friendly home park, but Strasburg is a difficult match-up for anyone.