Two runs in the third for the Giants cut a 4-1 lead to 4-3 before a three run sixth sent the Giants to the lead and a 3-1 lead in the series.
Buster Posey finished the night with three RBI to pace the Giant offense that once again took a little of this and that to pull a win out of the fire..
Yusmeiro Petit earned the win in relief of Ryan Vogelsong with Santiago Casilla firing the ninth for the save.
The Giants could clinch the series with a win tomorrow in game five.
Madison Bumgarner for the Giants against Adam Wainwright for the visiting Cardinals.
Giants Steps
1) The player of the game for the Giants was Matt Adams.
I know Matt Adams plays for the Cardinals,but his errant tosses from first base allowed the tying and eventual winning runs to score.
Adams was off balance after snaring Gregor Blanco's grounder and the result throw to home was in time but not on the money as Juan Perez tied the game.
Adams then made a nice play on Joe Panik's ball and tagged the bag,but his peg to second to complete an inning ending double play pulled Jhonny Peralta off the bag and caused Brandon Crawford to score the run that put the Giants in front for good.
2) Ryan Vogelsong just didn't have it and he was apparently early on.
Vogelsong allowed all four to the Cardinals in his three innings and honestly was fortunate to get away with just that as it took a sterling defensive stab by Pablo Sandoval to start a double play to end the first inning.
3) The relievers made the difference and bought the time that the Giants needed to gather the troops to make the run around the far turn.
Yusmeiro Petit threw the most with three innings,but five other relievers helped to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard for the last six innings of the game.
Petit has been the surprise of the season on mound as he turned a flagging career that looked to be headed as AAA stalwart with occasional big league appearances and turned it into a strong swingman
that could be used as a 4th or 5th starter or as a workhorse long man....
4) Bruce Bochy is a good manager.
I know that seems like a given,but sometimes his style can be a frustrating one-during the season.
In October,Bochy's moves are thought out and he uses the numbers far more than the "old school" reputation that he has indicates.
For example-runners on second and first and no outs,Bochy pinch hits Matt Duffy for Petit to lay a bunt down.
Earlier in the game,Petit had failed to drop a bunt down in three attempts,so he was done for Duffy.
Bochy has Duffy move the runners over against lefty Marco Gonzales and then allowed lefties Gregor Blanco and Joe Panik both to face Gonzales.
The book move says lefty vs lefty favors the pitcher,but both Blanco (53 pts higher) and Panik (99 pts higher) hit lefties better than righties,so Bochy stood pat and got two more runs to win the game...
5) That's right-the run of runs scores without a hit continued in this game.
The Giants have scored 12 of their last 22 without a hit.
There is a term that goes along with such a stat-Team of Destiny.
6) Best part of this series? I have gotten to talk Giants baseball with Giants fans and find some common ground.
It isn't always easy being a Giants fan in the East (I only have ever met one),but talking the game has been fun with Giants fans ranging from other bloggers to Sacramento meteorologist Kristina Werner to LPGA (among other tour) commentator Kay Cockerill.
It's been really fun and I've enjoyed it.
Twitter can really make anyone the home team even if you are 3,000 miles away.
7) If this series is to end,I like the chances tonight with Madison Bumgarner vs the aching elbow of Adam Wainwright.
Ordinarily,this would be a matchup for the ages,but Wainwright's health puts the Cardinals in a state that that is weaker than normal for a start by their ace.
Hoping to wrap this up tonight and make their next trip to Missouri to the Western half,not the Eastern portion...
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