ST. LOUIS — Madison Bumgarner once again put the San Francisco Giants on the road to a playoff victory.
Bumgarner pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and the Giants combined just enough hitting with a couple of defensive flubs by St. Louis to beat the Cardinals 3-0 Saturday night in the NL Championship Series opener.
Bumgarner set a major league postseason record with 26 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings on the road, besting the mark of 23 straight postseason scoreless innings on the road set by Art Nehf of the New York Giants from 1921-24.
The left-hander, already a key part of two World Series championship teams in San Francisco, was in complete command while 20-game winner Adam Wainwright failed to last even five innings for the Cardinals.
San Francisco has won 12 of its last 13 in the postseason, including three straight to erase a 3-1 deficit in the 2012 NLCS against St. Louis.
Jake Peavy gets the Game 2 start for the Giants on Sunday night against Lance Lynn.
Bumgarner, who began the playoffs by throwing a shutout at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game, gave up four hits in 7 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals’ threatened against him only in the seventh on consecutive one-out singles by Yadier Molina and Jon Jay, but Kolten Wong tapped out and pinch-hitter Tony Cruz fanned.
The Giants’ bullpen finished with hitless relief as Sergio Romo got the last out in the eighth and Santiago Casilla closed for a save.
The Cardinals twice failed to seal the deal defensively in the Giants’ two-run second.
Third baseman Matt Carpenter’s fielding error with the bases loaded on Gregor Blanco’s soft one-hop liner at his feet was their first error of the postseason.
Pablo Sandoval doubled to start the inning when rookie right fielder Randal Grichuk gloved the ball but couldn’t hang on as he ran into the wall.
Travis Ishikawa, 0 for 5 with five strikeouts and a walk against Wainwright, had an RBI single on a jam-shot bloop just over Carpenter’s head in shallow left.
Wong misplayed a double-play ball at second base in the third, and Brandon Belt’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Photo via Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports Images
