Giants vs. Mets

The 2016 National Wild Card game on Wednesday becomes an all-out battle between pitchers as the San Francisco Giants’ Madison Bumgarner faces off against New York Mets’ Noah Syndergaard – making for great postseason watching!

The game starts off with both aces striking out the first three batters in both halves of the first inning. Syndergaard starts to lose control in the second inning throwing, nine pitches just to strike out Brandon Crawford. Bumgarner challenges back with another triple-strikeout inning.

Syndergaard answers back with a four-strikeout streak against the Giants in the top of the third. The Mets’ Rene Rivera is the first to make it on base all game, but is thrown out by a quick double play by the Giants. Denard Span gets on base for the Giants but is quickly called out on a bad call by the umpires trying to slide into second base for a steal. Syndergaard overpowers one Giants batter after another, with now four hitless innings.

T.J. Rivera slams his way into scoring position with a stand-up double into left field. Rene Rivera takes over T.J.’s scoring position after T.J. is tagged out after being caught in a “pickle.” (A “pickle” is when a baserunner is caught running back and forth between two bases while opposing infielders slowly shuttle the ball between teammates to chase him down and tag him out.

Syndergaard takes advantage of the outside edge of the strike zone, notching his 10th strikeout in the top of the sixth. Span, finally getting San Francisco’s first hit, makes another steal attempt for second base and succeeds but is left hanging there after Curtis Granderson makes an absolutely amazing catch for the Mets of a line drive into deep centerfield (by Brandon Belt), running into the wall to do so.

Tension in the ballpark rises in the top of the ninth, with still no score. Both teams are frustrated and unsatisfied with their inability to make any progress on the scoreboard. Then, with runners on first and second, Conor Gillaspie whacks a three-run home run for the Giants! Bumgarner closes out an amazing complete game, throwing 109 pitches total and giving the Giants the win against the Mets , 3-0.

After the game, Gillaspie was asked what challenge Noah Syndergaard presented to the Giants. “He’s as good as I’ve seen at this level; it was a tough go around for seven innings, he responded. “Very rarely do I feel somewhat overmatched… hats off to him, he’s got some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen.”

This just goes to show that even Giants face tough challenges… and just how intense playoff baseball can be.