How
many young pitchers have started in a World Series game? There were only
three before Game 4 of this season, all 20-year old in age Then there came Madison
Bumgarner, a 21-year old lefty. Yes, Game 4 was a battery of rookies
with Buster Posey catching.

Baseball
is Baseball. Rookie or not, a player has to go out there and play his
role. And Bumgarner did his impressively. He carried himself with ease
that he could be mistaken as a veteran, of which he would remind you of
Andy Pettitte.

He may have walked the first batter without throwing a
strike but it was 3-up, 3-down first inning, thanks to the double play.
Ian Kinsler was the only other batter that he walked. No one even
stepped on second base except for Michael Young, simply because of Juan Uribe’s
error in the seventh inning.

Josh Hamilton tried to steal second base, but Buster
Posey was such a thief buster. Hamilton was the third out of the
fourth inning.

As dominating like an ace Bumgarner may be, he
still needed the help of his defense, which really stepped up for some
dazzling favour. There were the double plays, Freddy Sanchez’ impressive
stop in the second inning, and Cody Ross’ diving catch in the fifth
inning.

The
Giants offense were also good though not so productive. Two Giants hit
their first post-season home runs, a 2-run homer by Aubrey Huff in the
third inning and a solo shot by Buster Posey in the eight. The other run
was generated by Edgar Renteria, thanks to his quick jump to steal second base.
Andres Torres, who got the RBI, went for double.

Madison Bumgarner left the game on 8IP
with just 3 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, three of which were to Vladimir
Guerrero, and definitely no run. By the way, Bumgarner’s post-season
ERA is still frozen at 0.00. Brian Wilson, the ever reliable Giant
closer, stepped on the mound in the ninth inning to seal the game in his
3-up, 3-down performance with two strikeouts. His post-season ERA is
also frozen at 0.00.

Game
4 was definitely in the books, from the ceremonial first pitch to game
proper, which had a lot to offer including the second World Series
shutout of the Giants, their fourth in the post-season.

Among
the great moments of the World Series Game 4, my favourite would always
be what the Giants gave the world – a rookie starter with the spirit of
a post-season veteran.