Orange October (XII) – Giants Win Game 7 (3 To 2) And World Series (4 To 3)

Yesterday, the Kansas City Royals turned in one of the dominating performances of any World Series Game 6 winning by 10 runs to nil to tie the Series three all.  Going into today’s Game 7, NO home team has lost a Game 7 since 1979 (35 YEARS), so it was looking pretty dim for the boys in Orange and Black.
Amazingly, the S.F. Giants got it done.  They jumped out to a 2 to 0 lead.  The Royals stormed back to tie the game at 2 – 2.  The Giants managed to squeak ahead by 1 run and then – in what can only be described as a performance for the ages – Madison Bumgarner came in to pitch five scoreless innings to close out the game with the tying run sitting on third base.  A pop-up foul ball was caught by Pablo Sandoval to end the Game and Series!!
I am emotionally spent…  The game was so close, so dramatic, so tense…  Wow!!  And that’s why it’s so easy to love Baseball !!!
I AM ORANGE INSIDE !!
It’s looking like it’s going to be an ORANGE OFF-SEASON!!
My wife (Hil) is a massive Giants fan and has watched almost every single game this year (and last).  She was extremely disappointed by last night’s crushing loss because she knew what it meant to throw the Series into the “toss-up” of a Game 7.  Today is Hil’s birthday.  (Happy BD, again!!)  Our daughter texted Hil just after the game ended.  “Happy BD, Mum!!  The Giants won it for you!”  It’ll be a birthday present she’ll remember!!  LOL!
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On This Day In:
2022	To My Wife, My Love, My Friend
2021	It Also Helps To Marry Well
	Holding Hands And Thinking (Thank God For You)
2020	A Mandelbrot Set
	I Still Can’t… (Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You)
2019	Proposing A Happy Birthday (Can’t Help Falling In Love and Yes!)
	35 Years Later
2018	Forever (Forever And Ever Amen)
2017	Too Good To Be True (Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You)
	Plain Speaking
2016	She Is Still Singing
2015	Don’t Complain
2014	Nothing Is The Same
	Orange October (XII) – Giants Win Game 7 (3 To 2) And World Series (4 To 3)
2013	Hours, Days, And Years
2012	In Kev Are In Hil
2011	No Game, Didn’t Really Happen
	A Good Post

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Orange October (XI) – Giants Win Game 5 (5 To 0)!!!

The San Francisco Giants stormed to a Game 5 victory winning 5 runs to 0 on the complete game shutout pitched by their ace Madison Bumgarner!  In a golden age for Giants baseball, which seems to be hosting a handful of potential hall-of-famers – MadBum is emerging as one of the strongest of all.  Across three World Series (2010, 2012, and now 2014), Bumgarner has now won four games in four opportunities with a combined score of 1 run allowed in all four games!  He now has the lowest runs allowed average (career) in World Series history for pitchers who’ve thrown more than 20 innings.
But now the Giants face a tough test of going into Kansas City having to win one of the last two games.  The odds are in their (the Giants) favor.  Historically, the winner of Game 5 goes on to win the Series 68% of the time (.683), but it would have been so much more satisfying to have swept the Royals at home in S.F.  Still, the main thing is to keep the pressure on and try to take Game 6.  We don’t want a let down to give the Royals (and their fans) hope for a Game 7.
So now it’s time for the team to get a good night’s sleep and board a long flight to K.C. tomorrow for the Tuesday Game 6…   (And for those of you who’ve lost track:  my prediction was Giants win Series 4 Games to 2.)   Go Giants!!!
I AM ORANGE INSIDE !!
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On This Day In:
2022	Don’t Miss Your Life
2021	A Message To All The Democrats In Congress
	Where Did You Go In Texas? (La Grange)
2020	Reminds Me Of #LyingDonald
	It’s All Been Rehearsed (Baby I Need Your Lovin’)
2019	The Earth’s Breath
	Family Visit
2018	Forests, Shorelines And Mountain Paths
2017	Reach Down
2016	And Women When You Are 59
2015	Intersections, Explorations And Relationships
2014	[!(±*=)/≠], [!<]
	Orange October (XI) – Giants Win Game 5 (5 To 0)!!!
2013	Hard To Deserve
2012	Cloudy Between Games
	Admiration, n.
2011	One, Two, Three – Blink

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Orange October (X) – A Blue Morning Turns Into An Orange Evening

And yes, we’re in for one heck of a World Series!!  As I said a few days back, you can’t have a great World Series until both teams lose at home.  So far, the Giants have taken Game 1 in K.C.  The Royals won Games 2 (in K.C.) and 3 (in S.F.) and now the Giants have evened the Series with a big 11 to 4 victory in Game 4 (again in S.F).  All 15 runs were scored without a single home run!  Solid pitching (by both sides), great defense (by both sides) and exciting hitting (by both sides).  Whew!!
With three games left, it’s the first team to win two which gets to raise the trophy.  Hopefully, it’ll be the boys in Orange & Black.
As trite as it sounds, this Series is revolving around hitting it (the ball) where they ain’t.  In games 1 and 4, the Giants have done this.  In Games 2 and 3, although the Giants hit the ball hard, it was mostly hit hard right to the Royals players.  Almost all of the “spectacular” defense has come from both teams outfielders.  With a few notable exceptions by the Giants infielders in Game 4, this has remained true.  The teams are turning out to be incredibly balanced.  It’s a bit of a shame the TV numbers are so low.  The rest of the country is missing some great baseball.  (Of course, the numbers are strong in the S.F. Bay Area and phenomenal in the K.C. region, but elsewhere, only so-so.)
I must admit to being nearly crushed when the Giants fell behind 4 to 1 in the third inning.  I was even saying, “Well, that’s the series…”   It just goes to show you how much I know – and my wife cheerfully reminded me of my comment in the 9th inning.  (LOL)  Needless to say, there was even more elation when the Giants tied the game in the 5th inning and then scored seven more runs (3 in the 6th and 4 in the 7th) to cruise to the Series tying victory.
So, tomorrow is Game 5 and it comes down to the two teams’ aces to see which team gets the key victory.  If we win the game, we fly back to K.C. with a lot of optimism looking for a split.  If the Royals win, it’ll be a long flight into a steep climb of two must win games.  So, it looks like the Series will turn on the strong left arm of Madison Bumgarner.  Go Maddy!  Go Giants!!
I AM ORANGE INSIDE !!
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On This Day In:
2022	Make It So
	Hot Messiah (Part 1)
2021	A Simple Choice, Really
	Waaaay Before The Movie (Iron Man)
2020	I Just Want To Stay Happy
	Fading… (Photographs And Memories)
2019	Show Righteousness, Not Fear
2018	Sounds Like Politics, Too
2017	Resist More
	Conservatives Are Not The Enemy
2016	Two Weeks To Go…
2015	Remembering
2014	The Creeping Death Of Civilization
	Orange October (X) – A Blue Morning Turns Into An Orange Evening
2013	License Problem
2012	Giants Win Game 2 Of The 2012 World Series 2 To 0!!!
	Adage, n.
	Questions Women Should Ask Before Voting…
2011	What Are You Looking At?

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Orange October (IX) – Giants Lose Game 2 In Bullpen Collapse

Well, it looks like we’re in for one heck of a World Series!!  In what can only be politely called a “collapse” by their bullpen, the Giants gave up five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to the Royals and Kansas City never looked back rolling to a 7 to 2 victory.
The Royals pitching, particularly the bullpen, looks formidable with everyone throwing heat in the 95+ mph range and off-speed in the low 90’s.  By comparison, low 90’s are what the Giants were throwing as their top end pitches.
The disappointment of the game was a squandered first inning, lead off home run by Gregor Blanco.  It was a thing of beauty.  We touched the Royal’s starting pitcher (Yordano Ventura) just as frequently as they got to our starter, but in the end, Ventrua outlasted Jake Peavy and the K.C. bullpen was “all that and a bag of chips”.   Real deal…
So, the Giants leave for home with doubts and the Royals leave for San Francisco with hope.  There is a saying in sports that you can’t have a great Series until both teams have lost a game at home.  Now we find out if the Royals can turn the 2014 Series into a great Series.  The next three games are in S.F.  I’m still predicting a 6 game, 4 to 2 victory by the Giants.
But it’s back to being interesting…
I AM ORANGE INSIDE !!
By the way, this post is my 1,901th post – not counting pages.  What a long, strange trip it’s been…  I’m looking forward to 2,000.  🙂
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On This Day In:
2022	And Longer To Stay That Way
	A General Guideline For Voting In The 2022 Mid-Terms
	A Series Of Observations
2021	Press On
	Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This (Love Yourself)
2020	AMA
	Still Shiny (Sunshine On My Shoulders)
2019	Things That Go Bump In The Night
	Hoping I’m Careful
2018	I Must Be Truly Wise
2017	My Sensei
2016	The Worst Sin
2015	Rules Of Thumb
2014	A Prayer
	Orange October (IX) – Giants Lose Game 2 In Bullpen Collapse
2013	Complacent Reality
2012	Two-minute Sex
	Just Staring, Why?
2011	A World Of Difference

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Orange October (VIII) – Giants Win Game 1 Of 2014 World Series!!

With another dominating playoff pitching effort, Madison Bumgarner followed his team mates to an impressive 7 to 1 win over the Kansas City Royals!  The Giants can now play loose in Game 2 and try to steal another out-of-town win.  The Royals, on the other hand, are in their first MUST win game of the World Series.  They do NOT want to travel to San Francisco for three games behind two games to none.  In recent history, the winner of game one has gone on to win the series in 10 of the last 11 series.  Bumgarner is 60 wins and 3 loses in his career in games when his team has given him a three run lead.  The Giants provided the three run lead in the top of the first inning!!
The Royals will now be facing the Giant’s Jake Peavy with their fast ball flamer – Yordano Ventura.  He of 100+ fastball fame.  Peavy, who joined the Giants for the second half of the season, has been an emotional spark for a team which had fallen into a major slump.  Peavy is now an elder statesman, but he still has demonstrated great command and competitiveness.  So far that’s been enough to make up of an aging arm and decreasing mph fastball.
The good news is that if the rest of the team can supply half tonight’s output, Peavy and the bullpen should have enough to bring us home with the heavy (2-0) advantage.  Even if we return home with a split, we will stand a great chance of holding serve and Bumgarner can close out the Series in Game 5 (at home).
Man, I can’t wait for tomorrow’s game two!!
I AM ORANGE INSIDE !!
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On This Day In:
2022	Especially If He Blogs Excessively
2021	Table Talk
	No One Left To Blame (Carefree Highway)
2020	Plant Roots For A Hundred Years
	That Seat Is Taken (Love The One You’re With)
2019	Shining In The Dark
2018	Sometimes Wisdom, Too
2017	What Do I Know… (What Do I Know)
	Not Much Magic Here
2016	Rare Competition
2015	Now Where Did I Put That Thing?
2014	Reckoning
	Orange October (VIII) – Giants Win Game 1 Of 2014 World Series!!
2013	Trying To Capture Serenity
2012	Above The Vaulted Sky
2011	Active Learning

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