Game 4: Greatest Game Ever?

So who do you even call the MVP of last night's game?

Buster Posey went 4 for 5 which included one of the finest and timliest opposite-field singles I have ever witnessed. Posey has had insane opposite-field power all season. He's a righty and he hit a home run in AT&T park to right field. That doesn't happen. Nobody does that. Nobody except Buster. Huff moving to 3rd on that single was glorious in its own right, but factor in the other three hits and this guy was not playing in favor of Bengie Molina and Eli Whiteside earlier this season!

Cody Ross hit a double because he's Cody Ross and he's the most clutch player in the history of the postseason. He has the eye black of Will Clark, the bald pate of Matt Williams, and the highest, shiniest pair of black socks these eyes have ever seen. Cody Ross had me at hello.

Juan Uribe came up in the clutchiest situation possible, and he clutched that ball as far as his bad clutch wrist could take it. Clutch. And that play at short? Clutch. When Uribe sprains his ankle the doctor gives him clutches.

Huff decided to sprinkle 3 hits throughout the night, making sure that all of them came at the right time. Him sliding through home, then standing still with his arms raised while Torres, Panda, and all the Giants mobbed him was one of my favorite Giants visuals of all time.

In fact I'd say that 5 of my 10 favorite Giants visuals of all time came from last night (Panda clapping and laughing while standing on 2nd after his 2 rbi double, Huff's face while sliding home, Giants mobbing the field, Uribe dancing out of the box after hitting the greatest sac fly in history).

Brian Wilson had one of the more torture-free 9th innings of the season. That guy looked cold as ice on the mound.

And Pablo. Thank you Pablo. Did you ground into a double play that could've ended this mess earlier? Yes you did. But you hit two doubles in one at bat and laid off pitches and wow. That was easily the most important at bat of Panda's career. His 2009 was an amazing year. This year was a disappointment. His K and BB% match up really similarly to '09, but everywhere he hit it this year kept finding gloves and double plays. He was benched three games in his first postseason, and when given an opportunity to prove himself he did, in amazing fashion. This player is impossible to dislike. He could have spent those 3 games sitting on the bench looking like somebody popped his balloon, but he didn't. He was his same old energetic panda self, still doing goofy handshakes, doing his awesome booming clap, smiling huge when we would score runs, running to the top of the dugout steps whenever anybody did something good.

Panda could have been depressed about being bench. One year ago he was the best player on the team this side of Tim Lincecum, and now he's on the playoff roster but riding the bench. A lesser man would've let that get to him, let that get him down, send him into a downward spiral of sad and pity and chubbiness.

But that double. He hit that double. TWICE! And he can ground into as many double plays as he likes, because that's just a crazy BABIP thing anyway, and he hit that double!

Burrell drew two walks like he does, and it's pretty safe to say that Pat must be short for "Patience". Patience Burrell might make him sound like someone helping people on the Underground Railroad, and it might not seem as catchy as Pat the Bat, but hot damn if it ain't true.

Aaron freaking Rowand absolutely GUNNED Ruiz at the plate. I wanted Torres to start, but Bochy went with Rowand and he made his finest defensive play since saving Jonathan Sanchez' no-hitter last year.

Bumgarner's line doesn't look like much thanks to the two inherited runs the bullpen allowed, but he pitched better than anybody else expected a 21 yr. old rookie to pitch. 4.2 innings wih 6 K/1 BB and 6 hits is A-OK in my book.

Romo could've been postseason Romo after giving up that hit, but then he struck out 2guys and suddenly he was regular season Romo again.

Bruce Bochy only walked one guy intentionally. Baby steps. Also, he pulled guys at the right time and made way better decisions than Charlie Manuel all night. Rowand made the amazing defensive play, then gets pulled for Torres. Uribe gets put in for Renteria. Bochy kept Pablo in. And he looked as excited as anybody when Uribe hit that long fly ball.

Extra shout out to Duane Kuiper, whose radio calls were some of the most exciting and exhilirating I've ever experienced. His call when Pablo hit the double was perfect. His game ending call is something that I pray I will hear on Giants highlight broadcasts for the rest of my life. A lot of people talk about how much they love baseball on the radio, and Duane Kuiper made me fall in love with that statement all over again last night. Amazing game, Duane.

This game was truly one that everybody contributed to, and you can't say that often. I can't pick an MVP. Gun to the head I'm saying Posey, but that's besides the point. This was a team effort. A team that the majority of the media wrote off a week ago. This team of mercenaries play off each other perfectly, and holy cow this really could be the season.

I had a poster when I was a kid with Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell, and Matt Williams all holding bats that said "Pacific Sock Exchange". I want a poster of all the Giants decked out like Rambo that says "Mercenaries Deal Torture".

5 more wins.