MLB GAME RECAP

Grand slam, four-hit shutout…Giants beat the Pirates

The Sports Xchange

October 01, 2014 at 8:30 pm.

Oct 1, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (left) celebrates his grand slam home run with first baseman Brandon Belt (9), third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48), and right fielder Hunter Pence (right) against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning of the 2014 National League Wild Card playoff baseball game at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH — Brandon Crawford became the first shortstop to hit a grand slam in a postseason game, and Madison Bumgarner pitched a four-hit shutout as the San Francisco Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 Wednesday night in the National League wild-card game.

An 18-game winner in the regular season, Bumgarner struck out nine and walked one.

Crawford’s slam off losing pitcher Edinson Volquez broke a scoreless tie with no outs in the fifth.

The Giants move on to play the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series. The best-of-five affair begins Friday afternoon at Nationals Park in Washington.

The Pirates bowed out after making their second consecutive postseason appearance, coming on the heels of 20 straight losing season, the all-time record for futility in North American major professional sports.

First baseman Brandon Belt had two hits and three RBIs for the Giants. Rookie second baseman Joe Panik had three hits, and catcher Buster Posey and third baseman Pablo Sandoval added two hits each.

Crawford’s big blast came after Sandoval and right fielder Hunter Pence opened the fourth with singles and Belt walked to load the bases. Crawford followed by lofting a 1-2 pitch into the right field stands to make it 4-0.

It was the fourth postseason grand slam in San Francisco history. Crawford followed Chuck Hiller (1962 World Series), Will Clark (1989 National League Championship Series) and Posey (2012 NLDS).

Volquez had not lost since July 21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, his first start after the All-Star break. Against the Giants, he allowed five runs and five hits in five-plus innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

Third baseman Josh Harrison had two of the Pirates’ four hits.

Belt hit an RBI single in the sixth inning and a two-run single in the seventh. Posey capped the scoring with a run-scoring single in the eighth.

NOTES: Giants LF Michael Morse was not placed on the 25-man roster as he continues to be bothered by a strained oblique muscle that limited him to playing in only one game since Sept. 1. 1B/OF Travis Ishikawa started in left. … Pirates C Russell Martin was in the lineup after missing the last two games of the regular season because of a strained left hamstring. Backup C Chris Stewart was left off the roster after bruising his right hand Sunday at Cincinnati. Martin had a noticeable limp when he singled in the second base and ran down the first base line. … Kent Tekulve, the Pirates’ all-time saves leader and a postgame television analyst, threw out the ceremonial first pitch less than a month after undergoing heart transplant surgery Sept. 5.