It was a beautiful day in the city, and San Francisco had a 2-games-to-none advantage in this 5-game series. Excitement was running high and 43,000 fans were in a mood to celebrate. But it was not to be . . . at least not that afternoon. Maybe that's why most of my photos were of the surroundings, not the game.
Below, the national anthem was accompanied by a salute from the Coast Guard from the air and from the water.
The starting pitchers, Madison Bumgarner and Doug Fister, both pitched well; the game was scoreless going into the 7th inning. The turning point came in the top of the 7th, when Bumgarner put two runners on and then made a critical throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. Two runs scored, and that would prove to be enough to extend this series.
Below, two at-bats that represent the two offenses in this game. Brandon Belt takes a walk in the second inning, and Bryce Harper prepares to launch a towering 9th-inning home run that would splash into the cove without a bounce.
Final score: Nats 4 - Giants 1
EPILOG
AP Photo
AP Photo
The following night, with the Giants holding a 2-games-to-1 lead in the series and facing a potential return trip to Washington for Game 5, the Giants got it done. In the 7th inning, Joe Panik, left, scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded wild pitch, and six Washington outs later, the Giants and their fans could finally celebrate.
And three weeks later, in Kansas City, Missouri, the Giants won it all for the third time in five years.
AP Photo of the parade in San Francisco, October 31, 2014