Through three innings, Edinson Volquez and Madison Bumgarner were dealing, with Curt Schilling praising both pitchers on Twitter. Volquez had thrown 38 pitches, 27 for strikes, although the Giants had helped him by swinging at a few pitches outside the strike zone.
The top of the fourth began innocently enough. Pablo Sandoval lined a 2-2 curve into right field for a base hit. Hunter Pence grounded an 0-1 fastball into left field. Brandon Belt worked the count full, checking his swing on a tough 2-2 curve below the knees, setting up a crucial pitch. Volquez gets a strikeout and he has a chance to work out of the jam. Give up something else and he's in serious trouble.
Volquez threw a terrible fastball, up and way out of strike zone to load the bases.
This is the 2012-2013 Belt. Great eye and discipline
— Wendy Thurm (@hangingsliders) October 2, 2014
That brought up shortstop Brandon Crawford, who has some surprising pop at times -- 10 home runs and 10 triples, and that's in San Francisco, a tough home run park for left-handed hitters. The count went to 1-2: changeup away, fastball for a called strike, a curveball at the knees that was foul tipped. Volquez threw another curveball, Russell Martin wanting it low and inside again, but the pitch was up and ...
It was sure easy to see that white Brandon Crawford grand slam ball landing among all those black shirts.
— Derek Blume (@doc_blume) October 2, 2014
I have never heard a jet-engine loud ballpark get so quiet so fast. It was mute button from the moment that left Crawford's bat.
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) October 2, 2014
"And Clint Hurdle is on the phone to the bullpen." Apparently he wasn't concerned by the bases loaded, no outs thing.
— SportsPickle (@sportspickle) October 2, 2014
It was a bad pitch and Crawford didn't miss. Batters hit .136 against Volquez on 1-2 counts and he'd allowed only two home runs all season on that count. But one mistake can cost you the season. With Bumgarner dealing at 45 pitches through four innings, a comeback looks unlikely for the Pirates.
But that's what we said last night.