Giants outfielder Travis Ishikawa
belted a three-run homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to secure the walk-off victory and the National League pennant for San Francisco.
The Giants defeated the Cardinals 6-3 to lock up the best-of-seven National League Championship Series, 4-1.
Ishikawa's dramatic game-winning blast was set up by an equally dramatic home run the inning previous, this one of the pinch-hit variety off the bat of Michael Morse.
Madison Bumgarner was the winning pitcher Wednesday night, tossing eight sparkling innings of three-run, five-hit baseball.
He was also recognized
as the NLCS Most Valuable Player for his performance in two starts, in which he pitched 15.2 innings allowing just nine hits and a sub-2 ERA while striking out 12 batters.
St. Louis loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning, but failed to score, which also helped set up the deciding frame.
For San Francisco, it will be the club's third World Series trip in five years. The Giants claimed championships in the 2010 and 2012 seasons.
Game 1 of the World Series begins approximately 8:07 p.m. ET, Tuesday from Kansas City.
Bumgarner will again take the ball for the Giants. He'll be opposed by Royals ace, "Big Game" James Shields.
This year's World Series features two Wild Card teams, that each survived one-game, sudden death scenarios to even advance into the larger tournament.
Kansas City defeated the Oakland A's in a
classic postseason game.
The Royals went on to sweep away the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Baltimore Orioles en route to punching their World Series ticket. KC is a combined 8-0 so far in these playoffs.
The Giants defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a sudden death Wild Card game before defeating the Washington Nationals 3-1, and then eliminating the Cardinals on Wednesday.
