San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - With their backs to the wall, Ryan
Vogelsong and the San Francisco Giants rose to the occasion once again.
Vogelsong stifled the St. Louis Cardinals over seven splendid innings and
Marco Scutaro went 2-for-3 with two RBI as the never-say-die Giants forced a
deciding Game 7 of the National League Championship Series with a 6-1 decision
at AT&T Park.
The victory was the fifth of the postseason when San Francisco has faced
elimination. The Giants fought back from a 2-0 deficit to overtake Cincinnati
in the best-of-five NLDS and have evened this set with two consecutive wins,
beginning with a 5-0 triumph in St. Louis in Friday's Game 5.
Vogelsong (2-0), who limited the Cardinals to one run on four hits over seven
innings in Monday's Game 2, duplicated the feat to keep San Francisco's season
alive. The journeyman righty also established a career high with nine
strikeouts while lowering his earned run average to 1.42 in three starts this
postseason.
Pablo Sandoval added two hits, including an RBI single, and Brandon Belt
finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored as the Giants set up a winner-take-all
matchup between the past two World Series champions for the right to face AL
representative Detroit in this year's Fall Classic.
Chris Carpenter (1-2), one of the heroes during St. Louis' title run of last
season, was tagged for five runs -- two earned -- on six hits over four
innings to record the loss.
Game 7 will take place Monday at AT&T Park, with Matt Cain scheduled to take
the mound for San Francisco against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse.
The Sports Network