Marathon

While most of you are sitting down to watch or listen to the first Giants game of 2020 spring training, others will be fondly remembering the longest postseason game in baseball history. What can you do in 6 hours and 23 minutes? Drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Fly from SF to D.C. And write this article. It turns out, you can also watch the Giants score 2 runs in that amount of time. I’ll take it if it means winning a playoff game though. But that’s how long NLDS Game 2 lasted in 2014. 6:23 over 18 innings. The Giants used 20 players, the Nats 21. I used 4 pairs of underwear. The list goes on.

The Giants were fresh off winning their first two games of the postseason, the MadBum Masterpiece in Pittsburgh, and a torturous 3-2 Game 1 win over the Nats the night before behind a very animated Jake Peavy.

Tonight the Giants offense was going up against Jordan Zimmerman. Zim was 14-5 in 2014 and was 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA since the All Star Break. He may have been last alphabetically, but first in scariness. He was going against ancient Giants’ starter Tim Hudson, who was 38 in 2014. His age was showing in his numbers as he was 9-13 that year, the first time he ever had a winning percentage under .500. Hudson also carried a 3.57 ERA into a decent hitter’s park in D.C., and a great hitting team. As a fan, I was just hoping for him to keep this game close, no three run doubles, please.

The Nationals Score First

Speaking of doubles, Hudson was holding his own against Zimmerman but let Asdrubal Cabrera hit one over Ishikawa’s head in left field to start the bottom of the 3rd, giving Nats fans a reason to get loud now.

This brings Zimmerman to the plate and he takes a fastball right down the middle for strike 1. To the casual fan, nothing appears odd about that, but, to someone who’s made their entire life revolve around baseball you question why he didn’t drop a bunt down on the first pitch. Is he trying to get Hudson’s pitch count up? Perhaps Matt Williams (#ForeverGiant) didn’t put the bunt on hoping to deke the Giants defense? Zimmerman backs out of the box and looks for the sign from the 3rd base coach. Bunt, he says. So Zim bunts the next pitch foul and now he’s down 0-2. Two pitches later he strikes out by bunting foul. Great job by Huddy to get around him. But now we’re back to the top of the order and it’s Denard Span who grounds out to first on the first pitch of the at bat. A gift from the future Giant.

Cabrera moved to 3rd on the play and the Giants weren’t out of the woods yet because Anthony Rendon is digging in the box. 2014 was only his second year in the big leagues. He hit .287 with 21 big flies and 83 RBI, and actually finished 5th in MVP voting that season. With Jayson Werth hitting behind him, he was getting a lot of pitches to hit. Hudson started him with a ball and Rendon just missed crushing the second pitch, chopping it foul at his feet. A mistake by Hudson he got away with. On the next pitch, Posey sets up way outside and gestures with his glove to keep it low. Hudson deals and it’s right down the middle for Rendon who’s not going to miss two in a row like that. He takes Hudson’s 90 mph fastball just past a diving Crawford into left field for the RBI single. Nats are up 1-0. The fans go crazy waving their white surrender towels and the Nats have their first lead of the series. If Hudson got Rendon out, the Giants would have won this game in 9 innings. But Rendon had to do Rendon things and kept everyone around for 5 more hours. Hudson would then get Werth to fly out and that was that.

The Giants Tie It Up

Into the 9th we go. The Giants are doing their famous “let’s get 3 hits today” thing and Zimmerman is still out there sitting at only 88 pitches. He’s been extremely efficient. The most pitches he threw to one batter tonight was 7 and it was to Tim Hudson in the top of the 6th believe it or not.

So here’s Zimmerman in the 9th and he’s facing Forever Giant Matt Duffy who’s pinch hitting for Javier Lopez. To this point Zim’s retired 18 consecutive Giants, and you can make it 19 as Duffy strikes out on 4 pitches. Never had a chance. Nats are 2 outs away from winning this game now and here’s Gregor Blanco who’s hacking on the first pitch, fouling it off trying to make something happen. The 0-1 is a 94 mph fastball right through Blanco and it’s quickly 0-2. Blanco makes contact on the 3rd pitch and he hits a lazy flyball to CF for out number 2. Zimmerman’s making this look too easy as he reaches 95 pitches. He’s on track to throw the top 5 fewest pitches in a postseason complete game shutout since 1990. Maddux threw a 95 pitch CG SO in 1995 and John Smoltz (who’s calling this game with Vasgersian) threw 103 pitches in a CG SO in 1997.

The last hope for the Giants now rests on rookie and Forever Giant Joe Panik. Panik takes a heater outside for ball 1. That didn’t miss by much and Nats fans don’t like it. The next pitch is even closer and it’s called a ball! Home plate umpire Vic Carapazza just squeezed Zim on two close pitches in a row when he’s been cruising. The feeling of this game has suddenly changed. Zimmerman looks mad out there now. Panik will take it as he’s 0-3 in this game. Zimmerman just grooves the 2-0 to Panik and he launches a ball foul into the 2nd deck down the right field line. A remarkable foul ball as he missed tying the game by about 30 feet. Everyone held their breath while that ball was in the air. Smoltz and Vasgersian were speechless as they didn’t even call the play. Anyway, it’s a strike and the Giants are down to their final out. Zim overthrows the 2-1 and it’s way high for an easy take, 3-1 now. Panik’s in a great spot now. The 100th pitch of the ballgame is JUST off the outside again and Panik takes the walk. Zimmerman can’t believe it and it’s the first walk of the night for him.

FOX cameras then focus on manager Matt Williams as he decides to take Zim out. Little did he know as he took the long walk to the mound that he was making one of the big decisions that would lead to him being fired after the next season. Zimmerman gives up the ball and walks off the mound to a standing ovation. But Panik did his job. He got Zimmerman out of there and avoided being the 21st guy in a row to make an out.

Enter Drew Storen. Storen was not the Nats closer in 2014 but he did have 11 saves that year. The scariest thing about him was his microscopic 1.12 ERA in 56.1 IP. Since August 24th, he was 10/10 in save opportunities and hadn’t allowed a single run. Opponents were batting .196 off him but none of those guys were Buster Posey. Buster gets in the box, probably surprised to be in this situation, and looks very hitterish. You gotta think Matt Williams did him a favor here as now Buster can sit on a fastball. With a new pitcher coming into the game in a big situation like this, you have to think he’s trying to get in the zone on the first pitch. No one had any idea what Zimmerman was going to throw.

Well, Storen’s first pitch is a 95 mph fastball and Posey flips it into center field for a base hit. Panik takes a big turn but stops at 2nd and now the Giants have a guy in scoring position for the first time since the top of the 3rd and brings World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval to the plate. As he’s a free swinger and a bad ball hitter, what do you throw him right here? You have to beat him with stuff. Just like everyone else, Pablo was 0-3 in this game and was on the verge of ending his 12 game postseason hitting streak. Storen’s first pitch to him is fouled off at 92 mph. Looked like a 2 seamer with movement running away. A big hack by the Panda, 0-1.

Nats’ fans are now looking extremely tense, performing a 180 degree turn of emotion from 2 batters earlier. Panda digs back into the box, ready to let it fly. Storen deals. It’s a fastball at 94 low and away and Panda goes down to get it, lining it down the left field line JUST fair and into the corner! Panik scores easily to tie it as Harper (playing LF, yes) picks it up in the corner. He sidearms it back in as Flannery sends Buster to the plate. Short stop Ian Desmond’s throw one hops Wilson Ramos who makes a nice pick and tags Buster on the hip as he attempts to slide past him. Buster’s called out but he’s vehemently waving his arms like he’s safe as he gets up from the ground.

For now the game is tied at 1 but Bruce Bochy is coming out to ask for a replay. The umpires would look at it and after several minutes they call Buster out. But the Giants did the unthinkable. They got Zimmerman out of there and tied this game. Zimmerman’s final line: 8.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 6 SO. Storen: 3 pitches, 2 hits, 1 blown save.

No Man’s Land

Sergio Romo would get the Giants through the bottom of the 9th unscathed on 12 pitches and then we entered the abyss. Over the next 8 innings neither team would score. The Giants made it interesting a couple times. In the top of the 11th Juan Perez worked at 4 pitch walk to lead off the inning. Blanco would bunt him over (on the first pitch), But Panik would pop out and Panda struck out after an intentional walk to Buster.

Yusmeiro Petit would come in in the 12th and immediately have a stressful inning. Desmond would walk on 4 pitches, Harper just missed hitting a walk off 2 run homer as he hit it to almost deepest center field. On the play, Desmond would tag and reach 2nd base. A rare tag up from 1st base and it makes it a productive out from Harper. Petit would strike out Ramos on 6 pitches for out number 2. Then a familiar face digs into the box. Why, it’s Nate Schierholtz who Bochy elects to intentionally walk. Sorry, Nate. Not tonight. This brings up Danny Espinosa. The first pitch to him is low for ball 1. 18 pitches for Petit in this inning now. He gets Espinosa to swing through the next pitch and on the 3rd pitch of the AB, Espinosa hits a soft liner right at Craw who catches it at his knees for the final out.

After that the Nats would not threaten again. Petit would throw 6 innings and give up 1 hit while striking out 7. An incredible outing by Yusmeiro who played a huge part of this game. He almost threw as many innings as Hudson did (7.1)!

The innings would roll by as pitching started to take over. Neither team looked like they wanted to win this game anymore. I’m a fairly superstitious fan, especially in the postseason. Once I sit down, I can’t move anything or change the way I’m sitting, or as it turns out, turn any lights on. This game started at 2:38pm on a lovely Saturday afternoon. By the time we reached the top of the 18th inning, it was about 8:30 at night and dark out. So here I was on the same part of the couch sitting in pitch black as Brandon Belt dug into the box.

Belt only played in 61 games for San Francisco in 2014 partially due to breaking his thumb in a game in May against LA. But in those 61 games he hit 12 homers, on pace for 32! So here he was in the 18th inning of a postseason game. He’s 0-6 and due. Tanner Roark is now in for the Nats. He came in in the top of the 17th and got Buster, Panda, and Pence in order. He starts Belt with a 92 mph fastball right there for strike 1. The next pitch is another 92 mph fastball on the inside corner, strike 2. Two pitches, two strikes and the baby giraffe is in trouble. However, Brandon’s middle name is “full count” and he’s about to live up to it. The 0-2 is a curveball way in the dirt, an easy take. On the 1-2 Belt fouls it off Ramos’ left forearm and he’s in pain. Tough game behind the plate for a big league catcher. The next 1-2 is a fastball outside and the crowd groans, impatient for their next turn at bat. Roark is working quickly to literally everyone’s pleasure. The 2-2 is a high fastball that Belt fouls off. The 7th pitch of the at bat is 94 mph that must have missed away but it was way too close to take. Somehow it’s a ball and it’s a full count to Brandon. The outside corner to lefties has been called a ball a lot this game and now Roark joins a long list of guys who can’t believe it. Belt was down 0-2 quickly and has somehow squeezed 5 more pitches out of Tanner. Now he’s got him right where he wants him. On the 8th pitch of the at bat, Ramos sets up outside asking for another heater. But Roark’s pitch drifts back towards Belt and the fat part of the plate. The baby giraffe hammers it and drops his bat in typical Brandon fashion.

Jayson Werth gives it a look but it’s 4 rows deep in the second deck. A mammoth blast for Belt at 11:35pm local time. What a great at bat from the 1st baseman and it’s 2-1 Giants. No one’s happier than Tim Hudson (who threw the first pitch of this game 6+ hours ago), who’s pumping his fist up on the fence of the dugout. After a very modest high five to Crawford, Belt is mobbed by the dugout, the greatest moment of his career so far and the best 1-7 night he’ll ever have.

A Great At Bat

No one had a better at bat than Brandon Belt in the 18th. Not only was it a go ahead home run on an 8 pitch AB, but he had to grind for it putting up 6 hitless at bats before it. Brandon Belt saw 28 pitches overall and hit the game winning HR on the last one he saw.

Odd Stats

This was the longest game in postseason history.

The Giants comeback allowed them to win their 10th consecutive postseason game, an NL record. It was also their 6th consecutive postseason road win, also an NL record.

Belt’s HR was his 2nd career postseason HR. Number 1 was 2012 NLCS Game 7.

There were 485 pitches thrown and only 17 hits recorded.

Hunter Strickland closed the game in the 18th but it took 29 pitches for him to do it. Petit threw 29 pitches over his last 2.2 innings.

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Next Blog: 2014 NLCS Game 5 – February 28, 2020