2014 National League Division Series
Teams
Team (Wins) Manager Season San Francisco Giants (3) Bruce Bochy 88–74, .543, GB: 6 Washington Nationals (1) Matt Williams 96–66, .593, GA: 17
Dates	October 3–7
Television	FS1 (Games 1–2, 4) MLB Network (Game 3)
TV announcers	Matt Vasgersian,John Smoltz, Jon Paul Morosi (Games 1–2, 4) andSam Ryan (Game 3)
Radio	ESPN
Radio announcers	Dave O'Brien andJohn Kruk
Umpires	Mike Winters (crew chief),Vic Carapazza,Laz Diaz,Tom Hallion,Brian Knight,Hunter Wendelstedt
Teams
Team (Wins) Manager Season St. Louis Cardinals (3) Mike Matheny 90–72, .556, GA: 2 Los Angeles Dodgers (1) Don Mattingly 94–68, .580, GA: 6
Dates	October 3–7
Television	FS1 (Games 1, 3–4) MLB Network (Game 2)
TV announcers	Joe Buck (Games 1, 3–4),Bob Costas (Game 2),Harold Reynolds,Tom Verducci,Ken Rosenthal, andErin Andrews (Games 1, 4)
Radio	ESPN
Radio announcers	Dan Shulman andAaron Boone
Umpires	Dale Scott (crew chief),Eric Cooper,Rob Drake,Jerry Layne,Jerry Meals,Alan Porter
NLWC	San Francisco Giants defeatedPittsburgh Pirates, 8–0
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The2014National League Division Series was two best-of-five-game series on theNational League side in Major League Baseball’s2014 postseason to determine the participating teams in the2014 National League Championship Series. The Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals (seeded 1–3 based on record, respectively) andSan Francisco Giants—played in two series.Fox Sports 1 carried most of the games, with two of the games onMLB Network.

These matchups were:

• (1)Washington Nationals (East Division champion) vs. (5)San Francisco Giants (Wild Card Game winner): Giants win series 3–1.
• (2)Los Angeles Dodgers (West Division champion) vs. (3)St. Louis Cardinals (Central Division champion): Cardinals win series 3–1.

The Giants would go on to defeat the Cardinals in the NLCS, then win the2014 World Series, defeating the American League championKansas City Royals.

San Francisco won the series, 3–1.

St. Louis won the series, 3–1.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Nationals and Giants.

The Giants opened the series withJake Peavy on the mound to counter Nationals starterStephen Strasburg.Joe Panik put the Giants on the board in the third inning with an RBI single andBrandon Belt followed suit in the fourth to support Peavy, who didn't allow a hit until the bottom of the fifth inning. The first signs of trouble for the Giants came in the bottom of the sixth when, after a leadoff double from former GiantNate Schierholtz and a two-out walk toJayson Werth, Peavy was taken out of the game.Javier López came into the game only to surrender a walk toAdam LaRoche. With the bases loaded,Hunter Strickland came on to make just his tenth overall Major League appearance and struck outIan Desmond to end the threat. The Giants added a third run when Panik tripled to lead off the seventh, andBuster Posey singled to knock him in. This run was to prove crucial, as when Strickland came out in the bottom half of the inning, he allowed home runs to bothBryce Harper andAsdrúbal Cabrera to make it a one-run game.Jeremy Affeldt finished off the Nationals in the seventh, andSergio Romo pitched a scoreless eighth, beforeSantiago Casilla retired the side in order for the save, as the Giants held on to win by a score of 3–2.^[10]

Game 2 of the Division Series between the Nationals and the Giants lasted a record 18 innings, with the Giants winning 2–1. It was the longest postseason game in Major League Baseball history to date, both by duration (6 hours 23 minutes) and innings played (18), exceeding the previous innings-played mark by2⁄3 of a half-inning (Game 4 of the2005 NLDS ended when the home team scored with one out in the bottom of the 18th inning).^[12] Coincidentally,Adam LaRoche of the Nationals andTim Hudson of the Giants both played in the 2005 game as Atlanta Braves, becoming the only two players to play in both 18 inning games. Game 3 of the2018 World Series, which lasted 7 hours 20 minutes, has since surpassed this game by duration, although both contests share the 18-inning mark.

Hudson struck out eight Nationals and conceded one run in7+1⁄3 innings of work, with the lone run coming in the third whenAsdrúbal Cabrera doubled, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored onAnthony Rendon’s two out single. However, Hudson was bettered by Nationals starterJordan Zimmermann who came an out shy of recording a three-hit shutout, just six days after throwing a no-hitter on the last day of the regular season.^[13] Zimmermann retired 20 Giants in a row before walkingJoe Panik with two outs in the ninth and being removed from the game. The Giants continued to rally in the ninth whenBuster Posey singled on the first pitch from closerDrew Storen, andPablo Sandoval drove in Panik with a double. Posey was thrown out at home plate on the same play, and managerBruce Bochy called for a video review but it was unsuccessful and it ended the inning.Sergio Romo retired the side in the bottom half and the game went to extra innings, tied 1–1. In the 10th inning, Nationals second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera and manager Matt Williams were ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Entering the game in the 12th inning, Giants pitcherYusmeiro Petit became just the seventh pitcher to throw six or more shutout innings of relief in a playoff game,^[14] as neither team could break the deadlock.Brandon Belt finally broke the tie, launching a home run into the second deck in right field to lead off the 18th inning off ofTanner Roark. As the clock struck midnight,Hunter Strickland finished off the game to earn the save and a 2–0 series advantage for the Giants. The win marked the tenth consecutive postseason victory for the Giants, a streak extending back to the2012 National League Championship Series.^[15] By allowing one run in the third and subsequently never allowing another one for the rest of the game, the Giants' pitching staff combined for a new postseason record 15 consecutive scoreless innings in a single game, breakingBabe Ruth's 13 scoreless innings in Game 2 of the1916 World Series against theBrooklyn Dodgers. This record would be broken by Game 3 of the2022 American League Division Series between the Astros and Mariners, with the Astros pitching an 18-inning shutout, which also featured a leadoff home run in the top of the 18th as the go-ahead play.

Hoping to avoid a sweep, the Nationals sentDoug Fister to the mound in Game 3. Opposing him wasMadison Bumgarner who had thrown a complete-game shutout in theNL Wild Card game. Both pitchers threw six scoreless innings, but in the top of the seventh,Ian Desmond andBryce Harper opened up the inning with back-to-back singles.Wilson Ramos attempted to bunt the runners over, but Bumgarner's throw to get the force out at third went pastPablo Sandoval and down the left field line, allowing both Desmond and Harper to score, with Ramos ending up at second on the error.Asdrúbal Cabrera singled in Ramos and the Nationals had a 3–0 lead. The score remained 3–0 until the ninth when Harper led off the inning with a home run to stretch the lead to 4–0.Drew Storen came on in the bottom half and allowed a single to Sandoval and a double toHunter Pence to open the inning. Brandon Belt struck out looking for the first out.Brandon Crawford hit asacrifice fly to score Sandoval and cut the lead to 4–1, but Storen gotTravis Ishikawa to ground out for the final out of the game as the Nationals avoided a sweep. As it turned out, this would be the only loss Bumgarner would have the entire postseason.

Ryan Vogelsong andGio González were the starters for Game 4, with the Nationals needing a victory to send the series back to the nation's capital. The Giants struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second off Gio González. AfterBrandon Crawford singled andJuan Pérez reached on an error, Vogelsong reached first safely on a well-placed bunt to load the bases with one out.Gregor Blanco walked andJoe Panik hit an RBI groundout to give the Giants a 2–0 lead. Vogelsong held the Nationals hitless until the fifth inning, whenIan Desmond singled andBryce Harper doubled him home to cut the Giants' lead to 2–1. The Giants threatened against Nationals relieverTanner Roark in the bottom of the fifth by loading the bases, but managerMatt Williams summonedJerry Blevins to faceBrandon Belt, whom he struck out to end the threat.

Bryce Harper tied up the game in the top of the seventh inning with a towering home run offHunter Strickland intoMcCovey Cove, Harper's third home run of the series and second off of Strickland. Harper also became the third player in postseason history to hit the Cove afterBarry Bonds andRick Ankiel. Left-handerMatt Thornton started the bottom of the seventh inning by getting the first out but allowed singles toJoe Panik andBuster Posey. He was replaced by Aaron Barrett, who walkedHunter Pence to load the bases. FacingPablo Sandoval, Barrett threw a wild pitch which allowed Panik to score what would prove to be the game-winning run. The Nationals then proceeded to attempt to intentional walk Sandoval, but Barrett's threw another wild pitch. However, this time Posey was thrown out at the plate trying to score, with replay confirming it.Sergio Romo pitched a perfect eighth, andSantiago Casilla followed with a scoreless ninth. After issuing a two-out walk toBryce Harper, Casilla retiredWilson Ramos on a groundout to eliminate the Nationals and send the Giants to their third NLCS in five years. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this was the fourth time in MLB postseason history that the winning run in a series-clinching game scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning or later, after the1927 Yankees (9th inning),1972 Reds (9th inning), and2004 Yankees (11th inning).^[18]

2014 NLDS(3–1):San Francisco Giants overWashington Nationals

The Dodgers and Cardinals met in the postseason for the fifth time, with the Cardinals having won three of the first four matchups, includingthe previous year's NLCS which the Cardinals won 4 games to 2.

This game was hailed as the first post-season matchup of 20 game winners (the Dodgers'Clayton Kershaw and the Cardinals'Adam Wainwright) sinceCurt Schilling facedRoger Clemens in Game seven of the2001 World Series. However, neither pitcher was his usual self. The Cardinals jumped out to a quick lead on a homer byRandal Grichuk in the top of the first. The Dodgers went ahead in the third whenYasiel Puig was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a single byHanley Ramírez, who was then doubled in byCarl Crawford. They got two more the next inning on RBI singles by Puig andMatt Kemp and then made it 6–1 with a two-run home run byA. J. Ellis (who was 4–for–5 in the game) in the fifth to chase Wainwright from the game. Kershaw did not allow another hit after the first inning home run untilMatt Carpenter hit a home run in the sixth. He started to unravel in the seventh, allowing four straight singles to start the inning and score a run. A strikeout ofPete Kozma was the first out and aJon Jay RBI single cut the lead to two runs. Carpenter's three-run double put the Cardinals ahead 7-6 and chased Kershaw. RelieverPedro Báez came on in relief, walking Grichuk and then allowed a three-run homer toMatt Holliday to put the Cardinals ahead by four runs. This tied the record of most runs scored in an inning in a Division series, eight, which theBaltimore Orioles accomplished just a day earlier in theirALDS matchup with theDetroit Tigers. Kershaw (who also struggled in game six of the2013 NLCS) became the first pitcher in history to allow at least seven runs in consecutive post-season starts, and also the first pitcher in history to allow eight runs in a post-season game while also striking out ten. The Dodgers got a two-run homer byAdrián González in the eighth off ofRandy Choate and also added one more in the ninth off ofTrevor Rosenthal onDee Gordon's RBI groundout with two on, but it was not enough as they lost the opener 10–9.^[20]

In Game two,Zack Greinke struck out seven while allowing no runs and two hits in seven innings. The Dodgers pushed ahead two runs offLance Lynn in the third onDee Gordon's groundout after a leadoff double and single andAdrián González's RBI single. However,Matt Carpenter again was the key player for the Cardinals, as he hit a two-run homer offJ. P. Howell in the top of the eighth to even up the game.Matt Kemp hit a homer in the bottom of the inning off ofPat Neshek to put the Dodgers back ahead andKenley Jansen shut the door in the ninth to even up the series.^[22]

Hyun-jin Ryu made the start for the Dodgers atBusch Stadium in Game 3, his first appearance since leaving a game against the Giants with an injury on September 12. He pitched well, allowing only one run (on anotherMatt Carpenter home run in the third) and four hits in six innings. However, the Dodgers were also only able to push across one run against Cardinals starterJohn Lackey whenYasiel Puig tripled to lead off the sixth and scored onHanley Ramirez's two out double to tie the game. For the third straight game, the Dodgers bullpen faltered. This time it wasScott Elbert who allowed a two-run homer toKolten Wong in the seventh, the difference maker in the 3–1 Cardinals win.^[24]

In Game Four,Clayton Kershaw started on three days' rest and pitched a one-hit shutout through the first six innings. The Dodgers struck first in the sixth off ofShelby Miller after back-to-back leadoff singles was followed by aMatt Kemp ground-ball double-play. After a hit-by-pitch and walk,Seth Maness relieved Miller and allowed an RBI single toJuan Uribe to put the Dodgers up 2–0, but in a repeat of the first game, it fell apart for the Dodgers in the seventh.Matt Holliday andJhonny Peralta each hit infield singles to lead off the inning.Matt Adams hit a three-run homer that was the decisive blow, the first time a left-handed hitter had ever hit Kershaw's curveball for a home run. The Dodgers attempted to rally in the ninth inning with runners on first and second butCarl Crawford grounded into a fielders' choice to end the game. The Cardinals won 3–2 and eliminated the Dodgers in the post-season for the second straight year.^[26]

2014 NLDS(3–1):St. Louis Cardinals overLos Angeles Dodgers

• 2014 MLB postseason schedule at ESPN

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