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' cardpath 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.
If this is a dynasty, Madison Bumgarner is the emperor.
Bumgarner, who has the lowest career ERA in World Series history at 0.25, again took the Giants on his back, carrying them to the title.
He won two of the four World Series games, saved one and threw more innings this postseason than any pitcher in history.
He won Game 1, pitched a shutout in Game 5 and tossed five scoreless innings in Game 7. He was so efficient on two days' rest that he retired six of the first eight batters he faced on four or less pitches and retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced.
He lowered his ERA in this World Series to 0.43, the lowest since Sandy Koufax in 1965 with the LosAngeles Dodgers.
He threw 68 pitches just two days after throwing 117 pitches, and survived a scary ninth when Giants center fielder GregorBlancocommited a two-base error a two-out single by Alex Gordon.
The sellout crowd of 40,535 now roaring, Bumgarner stayed in the game and retired Salvador Perez on a foul pop-up to third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Just like that, silence.
"It's like the guy isn't human," says Giants DH Michael Morse, who drove in two of the Giants' runs. "What can you say? He did everything."
And then some.
Somehow naming Bumgarner the MVP of the series didn't seem enough.
"He's definitely the difference in this World Series," Royals DH Billy Butler said. "If there's one guy who separated himself, and carried his team, it's Bumgarner.
"He dominated every time he was on the mound."
Bumgarner became only 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.
"I was just thinking of making outs," Bumgarner says. "I thank the team for leaving me in there and trusting me to go out there."
Are you kidding? Without Bumgarner, the Giants are sitting home right now, and don't even sniff the playoffs.
But with him on the mound, the Giants became the first team to win Game 7 on the road since the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979.
They also are the first National League team since the St. Louis Cardinals nearly 70 years ago to win three titles in five years.
"It's incredible what he did," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Truly, it's historic.
"There's no way I would take him out. I just jumped on that horse and rode it."
It may be time to clear a spot next to the Willie Mays statue outside AT&T Park, or at least name a cable car after him.
The big dude from North Carolina yielded a 0.56 ERA in his six starts this postseason, rescuing the rest of the rotation that 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, 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 just five batters for him to give it right back. Bochy could no longer watch, yanking Hudson after five outs, and just like that, Hudson had the shortest outing by a Game 7 starting pitcher since Bob Turley of the Yankees in 1960.
Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie wasn't a whole lot better, lasting just 3 1/3 innings when he was removed for Kelvin Herrera.
It was the first time in Game 7 history that neither starter made it through 10 outs, lasting a total of 77 pitches and turning the game into the battle of the glorious bullpens.
Bochy again was brilliant in his decision making.
Jeremy Affeldt, who has pitched 22 scoreless outings in the postseason, just one shy of Mariano Rivera's record, came in for Hudson in the second inning, and again was sensational.
He was a ground-ball machine, giving up just 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 may have been the difference in the game.
Eric Hosmer, with Lorenzo Cain on first base after a leadoff single, ripped a sharp grounder headed towards 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 him, but unlike Don Denkinger 29 years ago, first base umpire Eric Cooper had the benefit of instant 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.
Bumgarner, who finally conceded he was tired after the game, was almost flawless, looking like the finest middle reliever in baseball history.
He gave up a leadoff single to Omar Infante in the fifth inning, and then not another baserunner until Blanco's misplay of Gordon's bloop single.
It provided just another moment of drama, which Bumgarner snuffed out.
"Madison Bumgarner, what can you say about him and their team," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "It was almost hopeless (feeling). That's a special group of guys over there."
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GALLERY: WORLD SERIES -- GIANTS vs. ROYALS
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