San Francisco Giants vs St Louis Cardinals Live Stream: Watch MLB 2014 NLCS Playoffs Game 5 Online (FS1 TV Start Time, Preview)
The San Francisco Giants and the St Louis Cardinals will face off in Game 5 of the NLCS on Thursday night. The Giants are just one win away from the World Series 2014 and have home field advantage tonight with the game taking place at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. The game will start at 8.07 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) network, or online through live stream (details below).
If the Giants can win tonight they will progress to their third World Series in five years. They come into the game 3-1 up after winning Game 4 via a three run sixth inning on Wednesday night. That was enough to hand the Giants a 6-4 victory and set them up perfectly to finish the job in front of their home fans tonight in Game 5.
The Giants will want to finish the series here tonight, as if they slip up it will hand the Cardinals a glimmer of hope, as the series is scheduled to head back to the Busch Stadium in St Louis for Games 6 and 7, which potentially take place this weekend if needed.
But everything is set for San Francisco to finish things tonight. They have looked in command of the series until now and they will be in front of tens of thousands of fanatical fans tonight to cheer them over the line.
Madison Bumgarner will be given the opportunity to get the Giants over the finish line, but he has to be on top of his game, as opposing batters have been able to hit him more hittable in front of his home crowd this season.
It has also been pointed out that he has been more hittable in the postseason than in the regular season, so that will add further anxiety for Giants' fans coming into the game. But Bumgarner certainly has the skills and talent to see San Francisco home tonight, and if he can perform like we all know how then this could be the Giants' night.
Bumgarner (2-1, 0.76 ERA) is 3-1 with a 0.59 ERA and .152 opponents' batting average in his last four postseason starts. In five home postseason starts, he is 1-3 with a 5.06 ERA and .282 OBA, including a Game 3 NLDS loss to Washington.
Compare that to his road form, where he is 4-0 with a 0.55 ERA and .174 OBA in five games, with a scoreless innings streak of 26 2-3.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy isn't overly concerned though and he sees Bumgarner as the man to do the job tonight. Prior to the game he has simply boasted, "It's always good to have your ace waiting in the wings," according to the MLB official website.
Tonight's big MLB Playoffs NL Championship Series Game 5 between the San Francisco Giants and the St Louis Cardinals will start at 8.07 p.m. ET and can be watched online through live stream by clicking here.