Gillaspie's blast lifts Giants over Mets

Conor Gillaspie belted a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday to lift the San Francisco Giants to a 3-0 victory over the New York Mets in the National League wildcard game.

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner produced another playoff gem, throwing a four-hit shutout as San Francisco ousted the defending National League champions to book a NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs.

The Giants, winners of the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, will be aiming to douse the fervent hopes of a Cubs team who have amassed the best regular-season record in the major leagues as they chase a first World Series title since 1908.

The Giants have now won their last six knockout games dating back to the 2012 National League Division Series.

Bumgarner gave up two walks, struck out six and threw 120 pitches, 79 for strikes.

He has allowed only one run in his past 30 post-season innings dating back to the start of the 2014 World Series.

The Giants defied the dominance of Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

Syndergaard allowed two hits with three walks and struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings.

But Brandon Crawford led off the top of the ninth with a double against Mets relief pitcher Jeurys Familia.

After Familia struck out Angel Pagan, Joe Panik walked to bring Gillaspie to the plate.

Gillaspie, who started at third base only because Eduardo Nunez had a strained hamstring, belted a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence to put the Giants up 3-0.

"I was trying to get something elevated, that was pretty much my only chance against him," said Gillaspie. "Pretty much the whole game I was spinning off balls, so I was telling myself to stay in there as much as I could, and trust I could get there."

Bumgarner retired three straight Mets batters in the bottom of the frame to seal the win.

"Great to move on and get going to Chicago," said Bumgarner. "Ain't much to say. That's a big game for us right there, and we were fortunate to get some late runs, and we got the win."

- Pitchers' duel -

It was a tense pitchers' duel between Bumgarner and Syndergaard for most of the night.

Neither team got a runner past first base until New York's T.J. Rivera led off the fifth with a double.

He was then caught in a run down between second and third on Rene Rivera's one-out ground ball.

San Francisco put a runner on second in the sixth, when Denard Span broke up Syndergaard's no-hitter with a two-out single. Span stole second before Brandon Belt hit a high fly to center field, where Curtis Granderson crashed into the wall making the catch to a roar of appreciation from the crowd of 44,747.

Syndergaard was lifted after seven innings and his stellar effort went for naught.

"Everybody knows what kind of stuff he's got," Bumgarner said of his opposite number. "We were fortunate to get his pitch count up, get him out of the game."

Source : AFP