On October 29, 2014, the San Francisco Giants won World Series Game 7 with a pitching decision that became the game's defining feature. Madison Bumgarner entered from the bullpen and delivered five scoreless innings, preserving a 3–2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
The teams traded two runs apiece in the second inning, keeping the deciding game close from the start. Michael Morse's fourth-inning single drove in Pablo Sandoval and put San Francisco ahead. That run became the final difference, although the Giants still had to protect it across the rest of the night.
Bumgarner entered in the fifth after Tim Hudson and Jeremy Affeldt had covered the opening innings. He was working on two days' rest following his Game 5 shutout. Rather than providing a short bridge to another reliever, he stayed through the final out, allowing two hits without letting the Royals score.
Kansas City created one last threat in the ninth. Alex Gordon reached third after a hit and an outfield error, putting the tying run just 90 feet from home. With two outs, Bumgarner faced Salvador Perez. A foul pop caught by Sandoval ended the game and left Gordon at third.
The result gave San Francisco its third championship in five seasons, following titles in 2010 and 2012. The event is remembered for how the last five innings were handled: one pitcher, a one-run lead and almost no room for a mistake. Bumgarner received the save and the World Series MVP award. Those honors describe the finish, but the game's lasting image is the tying run stranded close to home.