Bumgarner hopes to silence PNC crowd in NL wild card game

(SportsNetwork.com) - It should be a wild atmosphere in Pittsburgh on Wednesday when the Pirates host the San Francisco Giants in the National League wild card game at PNC Park.

One of the enduring images of last year's postseason was the scene inside the Steel City, as playoff baseball returned to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1992 with the Pirates' win over Cincinnati in the wild card game.

Pittsburgh's run ended with a National League Division Series loss to St. Louis, but the Pirates are back in the playoffs after an 88-74 finish that nearly nabbed them an NL Central title.

The Pirates, who won 17 of their last 23 games, entered the final day of the regular season one game back of the Cardinals, but despite 12 strikeouts from Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh fell to the Reds, 4-1.

Even had Pittsburgh won it wouldn't have mattered, as St. Louis went on to beat Arizona later in the day.

Still, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has taken some heat for opting to start Cole, but the skipper defended his decision by saying he wanted to win a division title.

"I know the voice and heartbeat of those 35 men out there," Hurdle said. "They're all in, they're going out to win this ballgame, then whatever happens, happens.

"We've been second-guessed the whole season on how we do things, so you do what you believe in. Then Edinson Volquez can have the wild card game; we like our chances with him pitching."

So with Cole unavailable, Hurdle will now turn to Volquez, who has been as impressive as any pitcher in baseball of late, compiling a 1.78 ERA over his last 12 starts and finishing the season with a scoreless streak of 18 innings. . Volquez had the highest ERA -- 5.71 -- of any qualified starter in Major League Baseball a year ago, but this year he trimmed that by nearly three runs, and led the Pirates in innings pitched (192 2/3) and starts (31), while going 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA.

"He's been there all year," Cole said after Sunday's game. "When you look at the body of work, it's hard not to be impressed. He's been consistent, he's been disciplined through his routine. It's allowed him to be in this position."

At home, Volquez has allowed four earned runs in his last five starts, across 34 2/3 innings, although he is winless in nine starts against the Giants since beating them twice in 2008.

Volquez's only other postseason appearance came back in the 2010 NLDS with the Cincinnati Reds. He was bounced in the second inning of that one in a game that Philadelphia starter Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter.

As raucous an environment as that game was, Wednesday's crowd in Pittsburgh might be a little more lively. But will that home-field advantage be enough against Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner?

If there was no Clayton Kershaw we may very well be talking about an NL Cy Young Award for Bumgarner, who set career-high marks in wins (18) and strikeouts (219) and pitched to a 2.98 ERA.

"I'll call him a kid still ... he's accomplished quite a bit -- a couple All- Star Games and pitched well into the postseason," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "The makeup goes with the talent."

Bumgarner was also one of the best road pitchers in the league this season, going 11-4 with a 2.22 ERA in 18 starts away from AT&T Park.

"That just makes it fun," Bumgarner said of the atmosphere in Pittsburgh. "Whether you're at home and they're cheering for you or you're on the road and everybody's against you. It's not like football, where you can't hear the plays being called out.

"I expect it to be electric. I'll be prepared for it."

Pittsburgh rocked Bumgarner earlier in the year to the tune of five earned runs in just four innings. However, he struck out seven and allowed just one run in six innings in his only start at PNC.

Bumgarner would certainly like some support from an offense that mustered a mere 44 runs over the final 15 games of the season. The Giants were right in the thick of the NL West title race before losing two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week.

The Giants closed their campaign by taking three of four from the San Diego Padres over the weekend to finish 88-74.

Although San Francisco finished with the same record as the Pirates it will be on the road in this one since Pittsburgh took four of the six regular season matchups.

The game marks the teams' first postseason meeting since 1971, when the Pirates defeated the Giants, 3-1, in the NL Championship Series en route to winning the World Series.