John Rieger/USA today Sports
The crowd noise at Kauffman Stadium was constant and loud Wednesday as Madison Bumgarner pitched five innings of near-perfect relief to propel the San Francisco Giants to a tight 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 7 and their third World Series in five seasons. With both starters chased early, the game became a contest between bullpens. And no one stood taller than Bumgarner, the 6-foot-5 hurler who added to his postseason legacy with a third victory this Series. The Giants, who also won the championship in 2012 and 2010, ended a Series streak that had seen home teams win the last nine Game 7s. Bumgarner entered the fifth inning with a 3-2 lead, and after giving up a leadoff single to Omar Infante, he shut down Kansas City, as the Giants took the Series four games to three over the Royals, who were making their first trip to the classic since 1985.