San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws to first during the first inning of a National League wild-card baseball game against the New York Mets, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
NEW YORK (AP) — Madison Bumgarner pitched a four-hitter in his latest postseason gem, Conor Gillaspie hit a three-run homer off Jeurys Familia in the ninth inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the defending NL champion New York Mets 3-0 Wednesday night in the wild-card game.
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.
Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard didn’t allow a hit until two outs in the sixth and gave up two hits in seven innings. Addison Reed escaped bases-loaded trouble in the eighth.
Brandon Crawford doubled leading off the ninth against Familia, who walked Joe Panik with one out.
