The 2014 National League Championship Series (NLCS) was a best‑of‑seven playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) that determined the National League pennant winner for the 2014 season. The series was contested between the St. Louis Cardinals, the NL Central division champions, and the San Francisco Giants, the NL West division champions.
Dates and venues
- The series began on October 11, 2014, and concluded on October 20, 2014.
- Games 1, 2, 4, and 6 were played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Games 3, 5, and 7 were played at AT&T Park (now Oracle Park) in San Francisco, California.
Series outcome
- The San Francisco Giants won the series four games to three, securing the National League’s berth in the 2014 World Series.
Game results
| Game | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 11 | Busch Stadium | St. Louis Cardinals | 4–2 |
| 2 | October 12 | Busch Stadium | San Francisco Giants | 8–3 |
| 3 | October 14 | AT&T Park | San Francisco Giants | 7–6 (13 innings) |
| 4 | October 15 | Busch Stadium | St. Louis Cardinals | 7–4 |
| 5 | October 16 | AT&T Park | San Francisco Giants | 5–0 |
| 6 | October 18 | Busch Stadium | St. Louis Cardinals | 6–5 (13 innings) |
| 7 | October 20 | AT&T Park | San Francisco Giants | 3–2 |
Key players and awards
- Most Valuable Player (MVP): Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco Giants). Bumgarner recorded a 0.25 earned run average (ERA) over 21 innings pitched in the series, including a 1‑out save in Game 7.
- Other notable performances included Giants outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a go‑ahead two‑run home run in Game 7, and Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha, who started Game 1 and earned a win.
Historical context
- The Giants’ victory marked their third NLCS win in five seasons (2010, 2012, 2014) and set up their appearance in the 2014 World Series, where they faced the American League champion Kansas City Royals.
- The series featured two extra‑inning games (Games 3 and 6), both of which were won by the eventual series victor, the Giants.
Broadcast
- All games were televised nationally in the United States by Fox Sports.
Aftermath
- The Giants proceeded to lose the 2014 World Series to the Kansas City Royals in a seven‑game series.
- The Cardinals returned to the NLCS in 2019, where they again faced the Washington Nationals.
References
- MLB official postseason schedule and results (2014).
- National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum archives.
- Contemporary news reports from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and MLB.com covering the 2014 NLCS.
