Travis Ishikawa's home run sends Giants to the World Series

Bottom-of-the-9th blast gives San Francisco a 6-3 win over St. Louis in the NLCS



First things first: I am a lifelong San Francisco Giants fan. So excuse me if this is a little gushy.

The Giants are going to the World Series, thanks to a massive, already-legendary bottom-of-the-9th walk-off home run by Travis Ishikawa last night, giving San Francisco a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!

Kawakami: Put Travis Ishikawa among San Francisco Giants' legendary heroes

Instant hero. Pretty awesome for a guy who, earlier this season, was considering quitting the game.

Ishikawa, 31, started his career with Giants back in 2002, was released, bounced around, started this season with the Pirates, got sent to the minors, but eventually made his way back on to San Francisco's roster. The journeyman first baseman found himself playing left field in the postseason, providing the Giants with some key at-bats and defensive plays. And then, tonight, that homer.

That blessed homer:

Kolten Wong picked off first base for final out of Game 4

To nobody's surprise, racist baseball fans tweet racist things.



Wow. Rookie mistake. Another shocking game-ender in the one of the weirdest World Series ever. Boston took Game 4 when St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong was picked off first base by Red Sox pitcher Koji Uehara for the final out of the game: Koji Uehara picks off Kolten Wong for final out of Game 4.

Wong, a rookie from Hawaii, was pinch-running for Allen Craig, who singled earlier in the inning. Alas, with slugger Carlos Beltran at bat, Wong wasn't even trying to steal. He was just trying to get his lead for the pitch, but his "foot slipped," and he wasn't able to beat the throw to first.

It was the only game-ending pickoff in the World Series history. Here's the play: