The NLDS Comeback Part 1

In the ninth inning of game 3 of the NLDS, Aroldis Chapman struck out Pablo Sandoval to send the game to the bottom half of the inning, tied 1-1. To that point, the Giants had one hit, giving them 2 hits in the last 18 innings. The two starting pitchers that one hit the Giants in each game? Bronson Arroyo and Homer Bailey. Also Bronson Arroyo. The Reds entered the bottom of the ninth inning needing just a run to advance to the NLCS. The Giants were still alive, but really weren't. The image of Bronson Arroyo’s golden blonde lockes flowing in the wind as he sprinted with open arms to firmly embrace a fluffy overjoyed Mat Latos was all too close to becoming reality.

Less than 48 hours later, the Giants are going to the NLCS. The Reds season is over, and the Giants will never face Ryan Ludwick again in 2012. The latter is most important.

So much happened in these 3 games. So many crazy, game changing plays. The series did one of the most pronounced 180's you will ever see. I am currently writing this while on a breathing machine. Here’s a breakdown of the most significant plays that will forever go down in Giants lore for contributing to one of the greatest comebacks in Giants history. (click on titles for video)

Game 3

Buster Posey throws out Brandon Phillips:Everything that could have farted in the Giants face in the first couple games did fart in their face. The only thing worse would be if Bronson Arroyo literally knelt down and let out flatulence in the face of Buster Posey while singing about sweaters. Every line drive hit by the Giants found a glove, and every ground ball hit by the Reds found a hole. Bronson Arroyo was Matt Cain and Matt Cain was Bronson Arroyo. The Reds could have bunted for a home run.

Brandon Phillips is known for being a confident man of sorts. Everything had gone right for the Reds so far in the series anyways. So, Brandon Phillips decided to test fate. Buster Posey was not going to have it.

On the play Phillips wasn’t just out. He was out by 25 feet. It was a horrendous decision.

The Reds went on to string together a few hits and knock in one run in the inning after Phillips’ gaffe. Who knows what would have happened if Phillips stayed at second. I guess we’ll never know! The Giants would probably have gotten a triple play so it didn’t really matter.

Yep, Buster Posey's play went downhill from there. 

Hunter Pence singles, hobbles to first like a tarantula on cocaine: Hunter Pence had to stop mid at bat because of cramps in right leg. With the season on the line in 10^th inning of a 1-1 tie, Pence stayed in the game. He then hit a seeing eye single, and basically ran to first on one leg. He took the field the next inning and ran like this (via @gidget) :

Wait, that looks like how he normally runs. Hunter Pence normally runs like a tarantula on cocaine.

Scott Rolen juggles grounder and Joaquin Arias beats the throw to first, which allows Buster Posey to score go ahead run: Scott Rolen is a borderline hall of famer. During his career he has the reputation of being one of the best fielding 3^rd baseman in baseball. So it all makes sense when the Giants season survives because of an error by the 75 time gold glove winner.

Also of note: This was the first lead of the series for the Giants.

Sergio Romo had an at bat: This is notable because Sergio Romo had an at bat during the 10th inning of a playoff elimination game. 

Romo shut the door in the ninth. The Giants literally pulled the win out of their ass. Their season should have been over. They scored two runs on a sacrifice fly and an error. Homer Bailey was unhittable. Even David Blaine was asking "woah how did they did that?" Yet they pulled it out.

But, the Giants were still down 2-1 in the series. The future was still bleak. Hey at least they weren’t embarrassed!

Game 4

Angel Pagan lead off home run: For the first time in the series the Giants got on the board first, and led in the first 9 innings of the game. Apparently leading the game is important to win the game. 

The bottom of the fourth inning: Jose Mijares and Tim Lincecum strike out Joey Votto and Ryan Ludwick: It was only the fourth inning but this was the most high leverage situation of the game. 2 runners on with Joey Votto and Ryan Ludwick due up, with the Reds trailing 3-2.

Jose Mijares pitching kind of scares the crap out of me. His ERA with the Giants is 2.55 so it’s not like he’s been that awful the club. But when the Giants signed him as a loogy, I expected him to be an extra chubby Javier Lopez. He has’t been bad, but he hasn’t been a sure thing even when he faces a lefty. So when he took the slab against Joey Votto with runners at first and 2^nd, I hid under a table and stared at my thumbs, until they reminded me of Mat Latos’ face. Granted, all series it looked like someone stole Joey Votto’s slugging percentage but spared his on base percentage. Still, Joey Votto is still Joey Votto, and before his injury was a leading candidate for the NL MVP. Mijares was a leading candidate for Most Valuable Jose Mijares. The at bat was frightening. But Jose Mijares, who was basically picked up mid-season for free, blew a fastball right by the former NL MVP for the strike out. That was something.

Then with two outs, it was Tim Lincecum vs. Ryan Ludwick. I mean c’mon. Tim Lincecum was pretty much the worst pitcher in baseball this season in terms of results. Ryan Ludwick was 15 for 14 in the series going into that at bat. Ryan Ludwick was without a doubt the scariest, most nerve wracking Reds hitter to watch. He already hit 2 home runs in the series (including another on Thursday), and was locked in on every pitch. The same guy who flailed miserably as a Padre was now an atomic bomb that exploded on Giants pitching every at bat. Lincecum had the highest home run rate among Giants starters. Believe it or not fans were nervous. Tim Lincecum proceeded to throw a 2-strike change up that Ryan Ludwick swung at like a 99 MPH fastball. He did not make contact. Beautiful.

Related: I hope Ryan Ludwick retires. 

Tim Lincecum performing like Tim Lincecum: There came a point in July or August, when you were just resigned to the fact that Tim Lincecum was not the old Tim Lincecum. He was a guy that would tally up a high walk rate, strike out a bunch of guys, and have one bad inning where everything went up in chaos. Sometimes the results would be good, but after the start you would feel dirty. Something like 5 inn, 5 BBs, 7 K’s, and 3 ER would be a typical Lincecum start. 5 labor intensive innings where any pitch had the chance of being hit to Jupiter.

Tim Lincecum threw like Cy Young Tim Lincecum in game 4. He threw 55 pitches. 43 of them were strikes. You were used to Lincecum starts where he threw 12 balls in one inning. A Tim Lincecum appearence with good stuff and good location. In the biggest game of the year, Tim Lincecum threw like the Tim Lincecum that struck out 14 Braves in 2010. Remarkable.

In a shocking turn of events, Barry Zito pitched poorly and had suspect control. A confounding concept. The Giants needed innings from Lincecum and when he came in it was still only a 1 run lead. Lincecum, the former 2 time Cy Young award winner who was left out of the playoff rotation, came in during the biggest innings of the Giants season and held the Reds to 1 run over 4.1 innings and struck out 6. Whatever the narrative was coming into season changed with that appearance. And the story is not done.

Pablo Sandoval 2 run dinger to bust it open: hello game 5.

And that was just the first 2 games. Game 5 is in part 2.