Giants walk off in 10th on Cards’ throwing error

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Once the Giants finally got a bunt down, the rest was easy. A wild throw by reliever Randy Choate on a bunt allowed Brandon Crawford to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the San Francisco Giants over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Tuesday for a 2-1 lead in the NL Championship Series.

Crawford drew an eight-pitch walk from Choate to begin the inning, ending a stretch of 16 straight Giants retired since Tim Hudson’s two-out single in the fourth. After failing on two sacrifice attempts, Juan Perez singled to bring up Gregor Blanco.

Blanco fouled off a bunt try, too, but then pushed one to the left side of the mound and the left-handed Choate’s sidearmed throw sailed past lunging second baseman Kolten Wong, who was covering first base.

“We don’t do anything easy,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We might have got a little lucky there with Perez when he couldn’t get a bunt down and he gets a base hit. But Blanco laid down a beauty. ... I don’t know if that’s luck as much as great bunt, great speed to put pressure on them.” 

Randal Grichuk tied it with a solo homer in the seventh that chased Hudson.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night, with Ryan Vogelsong pitching for the Giants against fellow righty Shelby Miller.

This walkoff win came 12 years to the day after Kenny Lofton’s single in the ninth inning ended the 2002 NLCS against the Cardinals and sent the Giants to the World Series.

Playing without injured catcher Yadier Molina, the Cardinals had their chances. They squandered Wong’s double in the second before he delivered a wind-aided, two-run triple in the fourth. 


Royals edge Orioles 2-1

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) ― Mike Moustakas had his eye on the ball from the moment it left Adam Jones’ bat, tracking it against the bright lights of Kauffman Stadium. When it settled into his glove and he tumbled into a dugout suite, a dozen fans were waiting to pick him right back up.

Just like Moustakas has picked up his team during its perfect postseason.

The third baseman with the four playoff homers dazzled with his glove Tuesday night. And when Billy Butler drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, the long-downtrodden Kansas City Royals were on their way to a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles and a commanding 3-0 lead in their American League Championship Series.

“It really did fire up the whole stadium,” Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said of his teammate’s circus catch. “Hats off to the fans in the dugout suite, pick him up and put him back on the field. That was great. ‘Moose’ finding ways to get it done.”

The entire team has found ways to get it done. The wild-card Royals have won 10 straight postseason games, including all seven this year in their first playoff appearance in 29 years.