Big Game Bum gives Giants NLCS Game One

There may be an argument on who the best big game pitcher in baseball is,but Madison Bumgarner's name had better be involved in that discussion.
Once again Bumgarner came through with a supreme performance in a big game with seven and two thirds of shutout hurling as the San Francisco Giants quieted the St,Louis Cardinals 3-0 in game one of the NLCS in St.Louis.
The Giants scored two runs in the third to give Bumgarner all the runs that he needed on a Travis Ishikawa bloop single and an error by Matt Carpenter on a Gregor Blanco grounder.
San Francisco would add an insurance run on a Brandon Belt sacrifice fly in the third inning.
Santiago Casilla earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Giants will attempt to take a two game lead back to the bay tonight with Jake Peavy against Lance Lynn....

Giant Steps

1) Madison Bumgarner continues to be the type of shutdown horse that every team lusts for.
MadBum has thrown 23 scoreless innings on the road in postseason games and if not for one errant throw to third against Washington,the number reaches even higher overall.

2) The Cardinals came into the series as a sound defensive team,but defensive miscues dotted the Redbird I in this game.
Matt Carpenter's error allowed Gregor Blanco to score in the second and Kolten Wong's bobble extended an inning and resulted in the Giants lone run in the third.
It's the little things that make a difference in a closely matched game and series.

3) St.Louis did have a case on a balk that should have been called on Bumgarner in the seventh.
Bumgarner clearly stopped before throwing and it should have resulted in a run as Yadier Molina was on third at the time.
Would it have made a difference in the game? No,but still right is right..

4) Fluky thing-Travis Ishikawa had never put a ball in play against Adam Wainwright before his RBI bloop single into short left field.
Five strikeouts and a walk were the previous at bats against the Cardinals ace...

5) Three hits for Pablo Sandoval,but the unusual part of Sandoval's postseason success has been his working the count.
Now,he doesn't do it all the time-this is the Panda after all,but boy,it makes him such a different and more effective hitter....