That’s all for now! Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check out the full game report below.
Madison Bumgarner has now thrown 23 innings in winner-take-all playoff games. He’s allowed zero runs in those games. Incredible. Is there a better big-game pitcher in baseball?
It’s also Bumgarner’s sixth career postseason start without allowing a run, matching Tom Glavine for most ever.
Giants win 3-0 and advance to NLDS!
Giants 3-0 Mets, end of ninth inning
Bumgarner now out to finish what he started.
- Cespedes flies out to right and the Mets are down to their final two outs.
- Granderson flies out to left and the Giants are one out away.
- TJ Rivera to the plate to try and extend New York’s season but it’s not to be! Denard Span makes the catch.
And there it is! The Giants are headed to the NLDS!
Giants 3-0 Mets, middle of ninth inning
- Bumgarner will now stay in the game with the Giants having taking a 3-0 lead. He flies out to left for the second out.
- Denard Span flies out to left for the final out but ...
... the Giants are now three outs away from a date with the Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series.
Giants score three runs!
Giants 3-0 Mets, one out in top of ninth inning
Now taking the mound is Jeurys Familia, who blew three saves in last year’s World Series after none since 30 July. (Now’s when Mets fans tell me he actually pitched well.)
- And Brandon Crawford doubles into the left-center gap! The Giants have a man in scoring position with no one out and surely they’ll look to bunt him over.
- Angel Pagan up now and he takes two balls before bunting one foul. Takes a third ball then sends another bunt foul for a full count. Then he swings and misses for a strikeout. Pagan very frustrated in the dugout.
- No7 hitter Joe Panik steps to the plate with a runner on second and one down. Sergio Romo now up the Giants bullpen just in case they get to Bumgarner’s spot in the lineup this inning. Panik fouls off one pitch, then another and it’s 2-2 to the San Francisco second baseman. Panik fouls off another sinker. Then he takes a slider for a full count followed by a low sinker.
- Now it’s the No8 hitter Conor Gillaspie with runners on first and second with one out. Familia opens with a sinker for a strike. And Gillaspie jumps on a sinker up in the zone and that’s headed deep into right field and it’s going ... going ... gone! A three-run home run by Conor Gillaspie!
Giants 0-0 Mets, end of eighth inning
Bumgarner still on the mound with 8-9-1 due up for New York.
- Eric Campbell, tabbed as a pinch hitter for James Loney, strikes out swinging.
- Now it’s Ty Kelly pinch-hitting for Addison Reed and Kelly singles to left! Crowd really buzzing now.
- Reyes pounces on the first pitch and grounds out to first, but Kelly moves to second and into scoring position for Asdrubal Cabrera.
- And Cabrera lines out directly to Bumgarner: L1 to subdue the threat.
The teams now head to the ninth inning still locked at zero apiece.
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of eighth inning
Addison Reed now pitching to the Giants’ 8-9-1 hitters.
- Gillaspie singles to right and the Giants have a baserunner with nobody out.
- Bumgarner, who hadn’t had a sacrifice all year, does his job and bunts Gillaspie over to second. One down.
- Span with a lazy pop-up to second. A massive second out for the Mets!
- Brandon Belt now at the plate with a runner on second and two outs. He falls behind 1-2 but takes two very close pitches for balls and we’ve got full count with Buster Posey on deck. He then takes a ball low and Posey will come to the plate.
- Now it’s Posey with runners on first and second and two out. And a the first pitch is a ball that goes off Rivera’s glove and the runners advance. A passed ball! The runners move to second and third and now Mets manager Terry Collins will put Posey on intentionally, loading the bases for Hunter Pence.
- Clean-up hitter Pence now at the place with the bases juiced. He fouls off a fastball then takes another for a ball. Now Pence takes another strike and then swings at another for the final out!
The Mets escape the jam and we’ll head to the bottom of the eighth.
Updated
Giants 0-0 Mets, end of seventh inning
- TJ Rivera grounds out to short.
- Jay Bruce with a 370ft out to center.
- Now Rene Rivera flies out to right. Another quick inning for Bumgarner.
Now it’s Addison Reed who will take the mound to spell Syndergaard.
It looks like Syndergaard’s night is done. And what a night it was: seven innings pitched, two hits, no runs, three walks, 10 strikeouts on 108 pitches. Handshakes all around. Can the Mets’ bullpen keep it going?
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of seventh inning
And it’s Bumgarner on the mound as the Mets will open with the top of their order.
- Posey grounds out to first, the first out.
- Pence grounds out to short, the second out.
- Crawford takes two pitches for balls, then swings and misses for 2-1. Syndergaard misses on a slider and the count is 3-1. Now he misses low on a 97mph fastball and the Giants have a baserunner with two outs in the top of the seventh. That was Syndergaard’s 101st pitch.
- Pagan at the plate. Will Crawford try and run now? Veteran lefty Jerry Blevins is up in the Mets bullpen. A pickoff attempt then the first pitch, a ball, and New York pitching coach Dan Warthen is out for a quick chat. Another pickoff attempt. Then another. Then Pagan fouls off a sinker for 1-1. Pagan fouls off a 97mph fastball for 1-2 and the crowd is on their feet. Another pickoff attempt to keep Crawford honest. Syndergaard throws a sinker that doesn’t sink and it’s 2-2. Pagan then grounds toward first base and manages to beat the slow-moving Syndergaard to first base for the infield single.
- The Giants now have runners on first and second for Joe Panik. He hits a bouncer to short, a tricky play, but Cabrera makes it and the Mets are out of the inning unscathed.
Seventh-inning stretch time at Citi Field and we’re still deadlocked at zero. Who will break through first?
Giants 0-0 Mets, end of sixth inning
And it’s Bumgarner on the mound as the Mets will open with the top of their order.
- Reyes gets on top of a slider and it’s an easy grounder to third: a 5-3 putout.
- But now Cabrera fights back from a 1-2 hole and walks. A baserunner for the Mets with one down.
- Cespedes then strikes out swinging for the second out.
- Granderson walks to the plate to a standing ovation after making the catch that saved a run, and possibly the Mets’ season, but he winds up popping out to center.
Now it’s the Giants’ turn and they will have the meat of their order coming up in the top of the seventh. How good is this Bumgarner?
Bumgarner just reached 50 career postseason innings on the road. He has given up three earned runs.
— Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) October 6, 2016
Updated
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of sixth inning
Syndergaard back on the hill, still having yet to surrender a base hit.
- Gillaspie can’t check his swing on a slider and he fans for Syndergaard’s ninth strikeout of the night.
- Bumgarner gets caught looking at a 99mph sinker and Syndergaard is on 10 Ks. It’s the second time tonight he’s whiffed four consecutive batters.
- Span fights back from an 0-2 hole and rips a ground ball to center for the Giants’ first hit of the night.
- With Brandon Belt batting, Span, unsurprisingly, tries to steal second. He gets a great jump and he’s in safely. Now Belt, with a groundout and a walk so far tonight, will have a chance to break the deadlock with a runner in scoring position. He works the count to 2-2 then hits a long fly ball to deep center field ... Granderson going back, back, back ... and he makes the over-the-shoulder catch to end the inning!
A highlight-reel, run-saving catch keeps us scoreless as we head to the bottom of the sixth.
Giants 0-0 Mets, top of sixth inning
Now it’s Bumgarner’s turn to hold serve.
- TJ Rivera hits a fly down the left-field line and it drops fair by Pagan! Rivera wheels into second with a stand-up double and the Mets have a chance here!
- Rene Rivera now at the plate and he works a full count. He then grounds to short and the Giants have TJ Rivera caught in a rundown. They eventually get the lead runner – 6-5-4-6 for those of you keeping score at home – but Rene Rivera makes it to second on the fielder’s choice.
- Now the Giants decide to intentionally walk the No8 hitter James Loney in order to face Syndergaard with two outs. It’s Bumgarner’s first intentional pass of 2016.
- And Syndergaard whiffs to end the inning.
We’re scoreless through five at Citi Field.
Remember the last big hit vs Bumgarner in Oct? Of course you don't. He's never allowed a hit with RISP in a postseason road game (0-for-23)!
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 6, 2016
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of fifth inning
Syndergaard back on the hill as the Giants are back up.
- Crawford pounces on the first pitch and flies out to center.
- Pagan strikes out swinging at a 95mph fastball.
- Panik strikes out on an 88mph changeup.
The no-hitter is intact through five innings. Thor is dealing tonight.
Giants 0-0 Mets, end of fourth inning
- Reyes flies out to right, a seven-pitch at-bat that matches Bumgarner’s pitch count for each of the first three innings.
- Cabrera works the count to 2-2 and then rips an inside breaking ball down the left-field line for a single. He’s not 4-for-9 in his career against the Giants’ flamethrower.
- Cespedes strikes out swinging at a 77mph curveball in the dirt. Bumgarner has now thrown as many pitches this inning as the first three combined.
- Granderson lines out to center field.
Who will blink first?
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of fourth inning
- A well-worked at-bat from Denard Span, who fights back from a 1-2 hole and walks on a 98mph sinker that just misses high. It’s the Giants’ first baserunner of the night and one thing to watch is whether Span will be sent given Syndergaard’s struggles with men on base: he’s allowed a MLB-high 48 stolen bases.
- Brandon Belt is at the plate as Syndergaard tries to pick off Span. Then tries again. And there Span goes! Throw comes to second and he’s out at second base! He looked safe to me. And the replay sure seems to confirm that. The Giants are going to challenge this and ... wow! He’s ruled out! That’s a surprise. Maybe his leg left the base for a split-second while he was completing the slide but it sure doesn’t look like it. Back to Belt, who works it to a full count and then draws a walk.
- Buster Posey pounces on the first pitch and flies out to right field. Two down.
- Pence works the count to 3-0, but takes two called strikes then goes down swinging on a 99mph heater.
Something to remember: the Giants normally would have squandered their lone challenge. But because it’s a postseason game, they still have one more. Safe to say that replay review was not well-received.
Replay in baseball is a waste of time. Complete waste of time.
— Kevin Burkhardt (@kevinburkhardt) October 6, 2016
I think the umps got it wrong (twice) there.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) October 6, 2016
I don't understand how they still get it wrong after replay.
— (((Jesse Spector))) (@jessespector) October 6, 2016
Well, the entire press box and all of Twitter seemed convinced Denard Span was safe. He was called out even after a review. Cool.
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) October 6, 2016
Giants 0-0 Mets, end of third inning
- And it’s Rene Rivera who draws first blood, driving a 93mph fastball on an 0-1 into center for the first hit of the game ...
- ... and it takes Bumgarner exactly one pitch to get out of the “jam” when James Loney grounds to second for a 4-6-3 double play.
- Syndergaard strikes out swinging on a fastball.
And Bumgarner, despite the base hit, has still faced the minimum number of batters. His pitch count for the first three innings: 7-7-7. Jackpot!
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of third inning
- Joe Panik strikes out swinging at a 97mph four-seam fastball.
- Conor Gillaspie strikes out swinging at the same pitch, this one a 99mph number. That’s his fourth consecutive strikeout and fifth in eight hitters.
- Madison Bumgarner swings at the first pitch and sends it deep to center but it’s easily playable by Granderson, who makes the catch to retire the side.
Incredible stuff by Syndergaard so far, who’s perfect on his first trip through the Giants order and has reached a two-ball count only twice.
Giants 0-0 Mets, end of second inning
- Granderson pops out to short (on the third pitch).
- TJ Rivera pops out to first (on the third pitch).
- Jay Bruce flies out to right (on the first pitch).
Six up and six down on 14 pitches for Bumgarner, who remains on pace for that elusive 63-pitch perfect game.
Updated
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of second inning
- Hunter Pence flies out to center on an 0-1 pitch.
- Now Brandon Crawford works a full count over seven pitches, a great battle, this at-bat. But on the eighth Syndergaard gets him swinging with a 99mph sinkerball.
- Now it’s former Met outfielder Angel Pagan, who quickly falls behind 0-2 before swinging and missing on a 97mph sinker.
Prepare to settle in for a pitchers’ duel because both of tonight’s starters look sharp.
Syndergaard has thrown 28 pitches in 2 innings. The Giants have had 2 good swings - Pence's long liner to CF & a fastball Posey fouled off.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 6, 2016
Updated
Giants 0-0 Mets, end of first inning
And here come Bumgarner, who last appearance in a wild-card game was a four-hit complete-game shutout of the Pirates two years ago that saw him log 11 strikeouts. So not bad, then.
- Jose Reyes pops out to first base on an 0-1 pitch.
- Then Asdrubal Cabrera grounds out to the pitcher.
- Then Yoenis Cespedes pops out to short.
Easy work for Bumgarner, who needs just seven pitches to retire the side.
Giants 0-0 Mets, middle of first inning
And Syndergaard, all 6ft 6in and 242lbs of him, leads the Mets onto the field to cheers from the capacity crowd at Citi Field.
- Denard Span takes the first pitch for a ball, but Syndergaard comes back with two strikes than gets Span swinging on a 98mph fastball.
- Brandon Belt then puts a 92mph slider into play but grounds out to first.
- Buster Posey, who’s hitting .304 against the Mets, works the count against Syndergaard. A well-worked at-bat but he hits a grounder to third that Reyes easily fires to first to end the inning.
Updated
Tonight’s line-ups have been announced at Citi Field, first San Francisco’s then New York’s. Violinist and 16-times Grammy winner Itzhak Perlman has just played the national anthem. Here a look at the orders:
San Francisco
Span, CF
Belt, 1B
Posey, C
Pence, RF
B Crawford, SS
Pagan, LF
Panik, 2B
Gillaspie, 3B
Bumgarner, P
New York
Reyes, 3B
A Cabrera, SS
Cespedes, LF
Granderson, CF
TJ Rivers, 2B
Bruce, RF
Re Rivera, C
Loney, 1B
Syndergaard, P
Hello and welcome to tonight’s National League wild-card game between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets at Citi Field. The winner of tonight’s one-off advances to face the Chicago Games in the NLDS which starts Friday at Wrigley Field.
The Mets will send Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA) to the hill to go against the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner (15-9, 2.74 ERA), one of the sport’s finest big-game pitchers.
First pitch is about 20 minutes away. Plenty more to come from Queens.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime, read how Toronto pushed past Baltimore in the 11th inning:
Encarnacion hit a three-run drive in the 11th inning off Ubaldo Jimenez, and Toronto beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 in Tuesday night’s AL wild card game to advance to a Division Series matchup against old foe Texas.
“It was a very special moment and a very special opportunity,” Encarnacion said through a translator.
Jose Bautista also homered for the Blue Jays, who open the Division Series on Tuesday at Texas. Encarnacion’s homer brought back memories of the tiebreaking, three-run shot that Bautista hit in the seventh inning of game five of last year’s AL Division Series win over the Rangers, a shot punctuated by a memorable bat flip.
And the Blue Jays won their last World Series title in 1993 on Joe Carter’s walkoff home run.
“I was looking for a fastball and I was trying to put the barrel on it, get a little bit in front because the infield was playing in, and I actually got it,” Encarnacion said through a translator.
