http://0rz.tw/v87Cz Madison avenue! Giant road show makes it 3-1 Bumgarner's eight shutout innings has club on verge of title By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 10/31/10 11:33 PM ET ARLINGTON -- Consider it the calm before the storm. Madison Bumgarner, who had no idea that a rookie is supposed to be nervous in situations such as this, coolly subdued the Texas Rangers for eight innings Sunday night to pace the Giants to a 4-0 triumph in Game 4 of the World Series -- which left San Francisco one victory shy of capturing the World Series championship. "I just went out there and tried to make good pitches, and it worked out most of the time," Bumgarner said. "I got a lot of ground balls today, and we were fortunate to get out of there with a win. "I try to tell myself all the time just to relax and take deep breaths and control the breathing. That helps me to relax and stay calm and just kind of act like it's not a big deal. Obviously, it is. It's the World Series. But I've just tried to go out there and relax, and it's worked out." For the first time in the franchise's San Francisco history and only the third time overall, the Giants own a 3-1 Series lead. They have three chances to eliminate Texas from the best-of-seven competition, win their first Series since 1954 and launch a celebration like none other they've prompted since they moved West in 1958. The Giants became the 45th Series representative to take a 3-1 lead. Of the previous 44, the team on top has proceeded to win the World Series 38 times, with 24 of them closing out the Series in five games. Aubrey Huff, installed in the designated hitter's role, opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the third inning before Andres Torres, who rapped three hits, delivered a seventh-inning run with his second double of the evening. Buster Posey followed with an eighth-inning homer. But the star was Bumgarner, who at 21 years and 91 days of age became the fifth-youngest pitcher to start a World Series game. He also was the youngest to handle this responsibility since another left-hander, Los Angeles Dodgers favorite Fernando Valenzuela, worked Game 3 against the Yankees in 1981. "Doesn't show, does it?" Huff said. "We've got some impressive young talent here, man. Buster Posey behind the dish, him going on the mound, this kid's fearless, man. I've said it many, many times -- it doesn't seem like he's ever nervous. When he got to the field today he was just joking around. He doesn't act like he's got much of a personality, but he really does in the clubhouse." Bumgarner yielded three hits as the Giants blanked Texas for the second time in this Series and posted their fourth shutout of the postseason. Receiving ample defensive backing, the North Carolina native did not permit a Rangers runner to reach scoring position until the seventh inning. Josh Hamilton reached safely on third baseman Juan Uribe's one-out error and advanced to second on Nelson Cruz's two-out single. Bumgarner responded by retiring Ian Kinsler, who at the time represented the potential tying run, on a fly ball to left field. Texas starter Tommy Hunter, who lasted four innings, looked vulnerable even while blanking the Giants for the first half of his outing. Torres opened the game with an infield single and stole second base, but Freddy Sanchez grounded out to third and could not advance him. Torres was marooned at third as Huff and Posey grounded out. One inning later, the Giants had runners at the corners with two outs when Nate Schierholtz blooped an 0-1 pitch to short right-center field. The ball appeared destined to fall for an RBI single, but Hamilton made an artful sliding catch to deny the Giants. Torres launched San Francisco's third-inning breakthrough with a double to right field, a ground-hugger that struck first base and skipped over a lunging Mitch Moreland. One out later, Huff belted Hunter's first pitch an estimated 404 feet into the upper deck of the right-field pavilion. Huff's first home run since Sept. 25 at Colorado also happened to be just the 12th homer by a National League designated hitter in World Series action. San Francisco added a run in the seventh on Edgar Renteria's third single of the evening and Torres' two-out double, a drive to right-center field on Darren Oliver's 0-1 pitch. Posey completed the Giants' scoring with one out in the eighth as he hoisted a 2-2 pitch over the center-field barrier. Posey's victim was Darren O'Day, who induced him to ground out in the eighth inning of Saturday's Game 3 as he represented the potential tying run. The Giants complemented their all-around effort with virtually non-stop defensive support for Bumgarner. After starting an inning-ending double play in the first, Sanchez made a remarkable leaping catch of Jeff Francoeur's line drive to conclude the second. Posey threw out Hamilton on an attempted steal of second base in the fourth inning. Cody Ross contributed a diving grab of Ian Kinsler's liner in the fifth. San Francisco followed up with yet another double play in the sixth inning, this time retiring the fleet Elvis Andrus to complete the twin killing. "You know, with a win I usually sleep pretty good in the playoffs -- with a loss, pretty shaky," Huff said. "So hopefully we'll sleep good tonight, and we've got a big challenge tomorrow with Cliff Lee, and we know he's going to come out with his really good stuff. "We got him last game, but you know he's going to come out and really want to get us, so we've got to get our sleep and come back and try and do it tomorrow." Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. --

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