Giants top Nationals in NLDS Game 4, move on to NLCS matchup with the Cardinals

Ryan Vogelsong pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball and the Giants eked out three runs against lefty Gio Gonzalez and the Washington bullpen as San Francisco closed out the NLDS on Tuesday night with a 3-2 Game 4 victory. They’ll now move on to an National League Championship Series matchup with the Cardinals, and for the fifth straight season one of those teams will be heading to the World Series.

The Nationals put up a good fight to try to force a Game 5 back in Washington, D.C. — Bryce Harper launched a game-tying solo splash shot to McCovey Cove in the top of the seventh and then drew a walk in the top of the ninth to represent the tying run — but Giants closer Santiago Casilla ultimately shut the door.
Hunter Pence‘s sixth-inning catch against the wall to rob Jayson Werth of an extra-base hit was a huge moment given how close the game remained throughout, and it’ll provide a lasting image of this NLDS win.
The Giants have won seven straight postseason series dating back to 2012. They’ve taken the long road this year, starting with a Wild Card Game victory in Pittsburgh, but now they’re just four wins away from another Fall Classic. Ace Madison Bumgarner will be ready to rock for Game 1 on Saturday at Busch Stadium.