Giants moving on
Posey’s grand slam powers San Francisco to NL series victory
CINCINNATI, OHIO — Not just any comeback would get San Francisco back to playing for a pennant. It would take one of Giant proportions.
And Buster Posey believed it could happen. Even after the Giants left the West Coast down two games, the National League batting champion insisted his team could pull it off, despite the long odds.
With one swing, he got everyone else believing it, too.
Posey hit the third grand slam in Giants’ post- season history on Thursday, and San Francisco pulled off an unprecedented revival, moving into the championship series with a 6- 4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
“You don’t want to be in a lose- and- you’re- out scenario,” reliever Jeremy Affeldt said, wearing a brace on his left wrist so he didn’t hurt it in the champagneflavoured clubhouse celebration. “We’ve been in that situation for three days. We’re probably going to sleep well tonight.”
The Giants became the first NL team to overcome a 2- 0 deficit in the division series, which began in 1995. Major League Baseball’s changed playoff format this season allowed them to become the first to take a best- of- five by winning the last three on the road.
Posey’s second career grand slam off Mat Latos put the Giants up 6- 0 in the fifth and sparked a joyous scrum in the San Francisco dugout. The ball smacked off the front of the upper deck in left field, just above Latos’ name on the video board.
For the first time in the series, the Giants could exhale.
“I don’t think anybody gave up,” Posey said.
Will Clark, in the 1989 NLCS, and Chuck Hiller, in the 1962 World Series, hit the other Giants slams in the post- season. Nationals 2 Cardinals 1 WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals signed Jayson Werth to show them how to win. His game- ending homer Thursday night extended their surprising season.
Werth led off the bottom of the ninth inning by driving Lance Lynn’s 13th pitch into the left- field stands to give the Nationals a 2- 1 victory over the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals and force a Game 5 in their NL division series.
As he circled the bases, Werth raised his right index finger in a “No. 1” gesture, while the announced crowd of 44,392 roared with delight.
The best- of- five series will end tonight in Washington.