Despite a horrid post All Star Break that saw them go 26-42 before winning their final four games just to get in the playoffs, the Giants used an eerily familiar formula in Wednesday's 3-0 NL wildcard game win over the New York Mets: Madison Bumgarner taking the mound in a winner-take-all contest.
Trying to follow their World Series titles in 2010, '12 and '14, the Giants open the NL Division Series on Friday at the best-in-the-majors Chicago Cubs.
Bumgarner has pitched 23 consecutive scoreless innings in winner-take-all postseason games -- all on the road -- following a four-hitter at Pittsburgh in the 2014 wild-card game and five innings of relief at Kansas City to save Game 7 of the 2014 World Series.
Naturally the motto among Giants fans in this being an even year is they're "BeliEVEN'."
On paper the Cubs are a vastly superior team who will likely exploit the Giants' weakness in games Bumganer isn't pitching, which is the lackluster San Francisco bullpen. If I had to make a prediction, I say the even year magic will not help the Giants in this upcoming series against the best team in Major League Baseball.
But would I bet my house on that? Not. A. Flippin'. Chance.
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