Madison Bumgarner has the lowest ERA in World Series history.(Photo: Peter Aiken, USA TODAY Sports)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Go ahead, try to copy the San Francisco Giants' blueprint to win World Series championships.
The Giants did it again Wednesday night, capturing their third World Series in the past five years with a 3-2 victory against the Kansas City Royals in a thrilling Game 7 at Kauffman Stadium.
The Giants' path to victory has been a little different each year, but this title was the most unconventional. How do you win a World Series with a one-man starting rotation who moonlights in middle relief in the biggest game of the season?
The Royals brought all of their World Series heroes from 1985 for support, but they were in awe as was everyone else, watching Madison Bumgarner win the title almost singlehandedly.
Bumgarner, who has the lowest ERA in World Series history at 0.26, again took the Giants on his back, carrying them to the title.
Bumgarner won Game 1, pitched a shutout in Game 5 and came into relief in the fifth inning in Game 7 and gave the Giants five scoreless innings to earn the victory. He was so efficient on two days' rest that he retired six of the first eight batters he faced on four or less pitches.
"He's incredible. He's a different human being," said Giants DH Michael Morse, who had two RBI in Game 7. "This guy, every start he gets better and better."
Bumgarner, who threw 68 pitched Wednesday, became the third pitcher in World Series history to pitch in relief after a shutout, and the first since Randy Johnson of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks.
And just like that, the Giants became the first team to win a Game 7 on the road since the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 and the first National League team since the St. Louis Cardinals nearly 70 years ago to win three titles in a five-year span.
The Giants' title defied logic, considering they spent the entire postseason with one reliable starting pitcher.
The big dude from North Carolina yielded a 0.56 ERA in his six postseason starts while the rest of the rotation was smacked around for a 9.35 ERA.
Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy, in the Giants' two biggest games of the season, lasted a total of nine outs in Games 6 and 7.
Surely, Giants manager Bruce Bochy thought he must have been seeing ghosts.
It was the first time that two starters couldn't get out of the second inning since Ed Whitson and Tim Lollar for the 1984 San Diego Padres in Games 2 and 3.
Bochy happened to be a catcher on that team.
Hudson, who waited 16 years for this opportunity, was provided a two-run cushion with a pair of sacrifice flies in the second inning, but it took five batters for him to give it right back. Bochy could no longer watch, yanking Hudson after five outs.
Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie wasn't a whole lot better, lasting 3 1/3 innings when he was removed for Kelvin Herrera.
It was the first time in Game 7 history that neither starter lasted 10 outs, throwing a total of 77 pitches and turning the game into the battle of the glorious bullpens.
Bochy, a master of the bullpen, was brilliant in his decision making yet again.
Jeremy Affeldt, who has pitched 22 scoreless outings in the postseason, one shy of Mariano Rivera's record, came in for Hudson in the second inning and was sensational.
He was a ground-ball machine, giving up one hit in his 2 1/3-inning appearance. It was his longest outing since July 18, 2012, and extended his shutout skein to 23 1/3 innings.
Certainly, he had the right guys playing defense behind him, with rookie second baseman Joe Panik responsible for two double plays — including one that might have been the difference in the game.
Eric Hosmer, with Lorenzo Cain on first base after a leadoff single, ripped a sharp grounder headed toward right-center field. Panik dove, snared the ball as it came up on a big hop, and flipped the ball with his glove to shortstop Brandon Crawford. Crawford fired to first, and Hosmer slid into first base, ahead of the throw.
The throw actually beat Hosmer, but unlike Don Denkinger 29 years ago, first-base umpire Eric Cooper had the benefit of replay. The call was challenged by Bochy, and after 2 minutes, 47 seconds, Hosmer was called out, delaying one of the finest World Series double plays you'll ever see.
The rest of the night belonged to Bumgarner and the two bullpens, who refused to budge, putting up zero after zero.
Despite having pitched more innings (52 2/3) than any pitcher in postseason history, Bumgarner was almost flawless, looking like the finest middle reliever you'll ever see.
"Innings wasn't a problem," Bumgarner said. "I wasn't thinking about pitch count. Just thinking about getting outs. Getting outs until I couldn't get them anymore then bring someone else in.
"Right now I'm not tired at all. We just won the World Series. Tomorrow I'll be tired."
Rest up. Next up is the parade.
Follow Nightengale on Twitter: @Bnightengale
GALLERY: WORLD SERIES -- GIANTS vs. ROYALS
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