Giants even World Series with 11-4 win (w/video)

SAN FRANCISCO - With two runs in their previous 14 innings entering Game 4 of the World Series, the Giants looked stymied, occasionally stupefied and a bit overmatched by the Kansas City pitching - and especially by the Royals’ terrifying bullpen.

But the hits flew off the Giants’ bats Saturday night at AT&T Park, and they kept flying, one after another, increasing in rate after San Francisco finally wrested the lead. It was a cathartic outburst for a team that had suddenly looked vulnerable.

The Giants won 11-4, evening the series at two games apiece and proving they could fight back from a deficit, just as the Royals had proved previously. And they ensured that the World Series would return to Kansas City, no matter what happens tonight in Game 5.

Most uplifting of all for the Giants: Most of their 11 runs and 16 hits came against that vaunted bullpen. They made Jason Frasor, Matt Duffy, Brandon Finnegan - particularly Finnegan, who was tagged for five earned runs in one inning of work - and Tim Collins look like Triple-A scrubs, all of them in order.

“Awesome,” San Francisco center fielder Gregor Blanco said with a sigh and a smile. “So relieved. And especially that we have fun doing it, too. We were aggressive tonight and we were successful doing it. And in a big moment, big situation, we were able to come through as a team and do the job.”

Granted, the Giants didn’t do their damage the Royals’ holy trinity of back-end relievers. That was OK for the Giants, who made Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland irrelevant by pummeling their middle-inning assistants.

With San Francisco down 4-1 heading into the bottom of the third, the AT&T crowd trying to hide a creeping feeling of gloom, pinch hitter Matt Duffy started the comeback. He singled sharply to left field, advanced on a ground ball and scored on Buster Posey’s base hit to cut the score to 4-2.

Joe Panik was the spark in the fourth. He started the inning with a double to right-center that chased Royals starter Jason Vargas from the game, and scored on Hunter Pence’s single against Jason Frasor. Kansas City manager Ned Yost sent left-hander Danny Duffy into the game, and Pablo Sandoval greeted him with a single that sent Pence to third.

After Brandon Belt walked to load the bases, Juan Perez hit a dying line drive to center field. Jarrod Dyson, the Royals’ defensive specialist, raced in to make a miraculous catch, but Pence scored. Matt Duffy caught Brandon Crawford looking at a third strike on the outside corner to end the threat.

But the Giants weren’t finished. Not by a long shot. They strung together a sustained rally in the sixth to grab regain the lead. Pinch hitter Joaquin Arias and Blanco started it with singles, and the Royals walked Posey intentionally following Panik’s sacrifice bunt. Pence’s hard two-hopper to shortstop resulted in a force out at home, but Sandoval spanked a two-run single to center field.

“When Pablo got that big hit, I think we felt the momentum shift there,” Posey said. “Seemed like we all relaxed a little bit more and were able to score some more runs.”

Belt followed with another single, scoring Pence to pad the Giants’ lead to 7-4.

They buried Kansas City with four more in the seventh, finally giving their fans a chance to revel.

The early innings were anything but a festival for the Giants, as starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong failed to find his postseason magic.

Vogelsong has been the Giants’ rabbit foot since his first postseason run in 2012. San Francisco had won six consecutive games he’d started in the NL playoffs and World Series, tying a major league record shared by Jerry Koosman, Livan Hernandez and Chris Carpenter.

But despite some chants of “Vo-gey! Vo-gey!” from the crowd, Kansas City chased him with four runs in the third inning.

The Giants had scored a run in the first inning without a hit. The Royals made that look downright conventional. They had a man on second with two out when Lorenzo Cain hit a chopper that Crawford ran in to field; the shortstop came up firing but Cain beat his throw at first base. The next batter, Eric Hosmer, bounced a ball that Belt fielded moving toward second base. Belt wheeled and threw to Vogelsong, who was there in plenty of time - but missed the first base bag with his foot.

“It was just a tough play altogether,” Belt said. “… At first I didn’t even know if we would have a play at first. So I looked at second, saw we didn’t have anything there. I

“t was weird angles. If I was playing back, it might have been a different story, but I was playing up and we both went for the ball, and he took a weird route to first base. It just got crazy over there.”

The Royals had tied it 1-1, and Vogelsong looked rattled. Mike Moustakas walked on four pitches.

Omar Infante ripped a two-run single up the middle. Salvador Perez got ahead 3-0 and hit a looping liner to center that Blanco was unable to run down, making the score 4-1. That was it for Vogelsong.

Facing a series deficit for the first time this postseason, the Giants came out aggressive, beating the Royals at their own small-ball game in the first inning.

Blanco walked, took second when Vargas bounced a pitch and it bounced a few feet away from catcher Perez, then stole third. (Neither throw from Perez was on the money.) Blanco scored on a ground ball by Pence that would have been an inning-ending double play if Pence hadn’t sprinted full speed to first base.

Game 5 is tonight here at AT&T Park, and the Giants must be feeling good about having ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner on the mound.

And about their rediscovered bats.

“I don’t think we ever doubt ourselves going up there,” Belt said. “We always have confidence in ourselves. Just coming out here today and putting up a bunch of runs and a bunch of hits, we know we can carry that over.”

Press Democrat sports writer Phil Barber can be reached at 521-5470 or at Phil.Barber@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Skinny_Post.