Royal Defeat: Giants Win in 7

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants as they have beaten the Kansas City Royals in seven games to win the 2014 World Series. It's the third championship in the last five years for the Giants and their eighth championship in franchise history. It was a very exciting and nerve-wracking series for fans of the game everywhere, starting from the very first pitch thrown.

San Francisco began the series strong, winning Game 1 by a dominant score of 7-1. Starting pitcher and NLCS MVP Madison Bumgarner went 7 innings allowing only 1 run. He also kept Kansas City off-base and had the fastball working really well for him. Offensively, right fielder Hunter Pence led the Giants, going 2 for 3 with big home runs in the top of the first; the G-men didn't look back for the rest of the game.

However, Kansas City was able to bounce right back in Game 2, which was at a 2-2 standstill until the sixth inning, where the Royals went on a five run hit fest. Catcher Salvador Perez started off the rally with bases clearing three run double, while second baseman Omar Infante capped it off with a two run home run. Kansas City's bullpen took it from there, as the Royals went on to take Game 2 by a score of 7-2.

The Royals carried that momentum into Game 3, where they won by a score of 3-2 in a very close game at San Francisco. There were many moments in this game where it looked like the Giants were about to go on a tear and run away with the win. Starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie and a shutdown Royals bullpen that is led by closer Greg Holland, said no to that scenario. Excluding a two run sixth inning, the Giants lineup was shut down completely, giving Kansas City the win.

Game 4 looked like it was going to end up with the same outcome. Kansas City had a 4-2 lead going into the fifth inning, with their starting pitcher, Jason Vargas pitching well up to that point. It seemed like the Royals were going to head into Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead. Not so fast Kansas City fans. From the fifth inning onward, San Francisco's lineup went on fire, scoring a combined nine runs in three innings, and stunned the Royals 11-4. Hunter Pence, once again, highly contributed to this win, going 3 for 5 with three RBIs.

The Giants picked up right where they left off in Game 5, shutting out the Royals 5-0. Bumgarner had a simply dominating performance on the mound, pitching for a complete game shutout while striking out eight; Kansas City's lineup looked silly all night.

The series would then head back to Kansas City for Game 6. The Royals were down 2-3 in the series, needing a win to avoid elimination. Kansas City would accomplish just that, winning the game by a one sided score of 10-0. It was a rough night for Giants starter Jake Peavy, allowing five runs, six hits; he was prematurely taken out of the game in only the second inning. On the other hand, Royals rookie pitcher Yordano Ventura shined in the spotlight, while most rookies would have crumbled under pressure such as this. Ventura pitched a three hit shutout through seven innings before handing it over to the bullpen for the win.

The next day, baseball fans would once again get to experience the most exciting baseball game that can be played; Game 7 of the World Series. Kauffman Stadium was more electrifying than ever, packed with fans hoping to see their team win their first World Series in nearly 30 years. Unfortunately for them, it didn't happen. Giants second baseman Joe Panik got his team the momentum early on by turning a beautiful double play in the third.

Then, Giants manager Bruce Bochy made a curious move in the fifth, putting in Bumgarner on only a few days rest. However, this turned out to be a risk worth taking. Bumgarner pitched the rest of the game allowing only two hits, and sealed a 3-2 win for the Giants to clinch their third World Series championship in five years. Bumgarner was named World Series MVP for his unbelievable 0.43 ERA and 2-0 record in the series.

"I wasn't thinking about innings or pitch count." Bumgarner said on his performance, according to ESPN. "I was just thinking about getting outs, getting outs until I couldn't get them anymore and we needed someone else. Fortunately, I was able to get some quick innings and stay in there."

Once again, congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for becoming World Series champions yet again. And despite the tough loss, congratulations to the Kansas City Royals on a toughly fought series and a shocking playoff run.