NL Wild Card Game 2014: Vital Viewing Information for Giants vs. Pirates

After watching Kansas City and Oakland take each other to the limit, baseball fans will be treated to the 2014 National League Wild Card Game between the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

This one-game series will feature two of the most talented teams in the NL going to battle for the right to advance to the NLDS against the Washington Nationals. With each team possessing a strong pitching staff and a dangerous offense, this game is must-watch television for all sports fans.

The win-or-go-home stipulation makes for an intense atmosphere.

Here is all the vital viewing information for Wednesday’s game and a breakdown of the likely pitching matchup.

Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

When: Wednesday, October 1

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Breaking Down Wednesday’s Pitching Matchup

The biggest storyline for Wednesday’s wild-card matchup is the starting pitching battle between San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner and Pittsburgh’s Edinson Volquez.

Bumgarner is a 25-year-old left-hander with the ability to overpower batters with his fastball and make them miss with his breaking ball. In 217.1 innings, the Giants workhorse racked up 219 strikeouts, 18 wins, four complete games and a 2.98 ERA.

All of the pressure from the entire season falls on the shoulders of Bumgarner, but he embraces the opportunity. When asked about playing in big moments, Bumgarner spoke honestly to Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today regarding the desire to be in the spotlight:

"

If you don't want to play in the big games, I think you're wasting your time chasing this dream. I think anybody pitching wants to be out there, and if they don't, they need to ask themselves some questions and reevaluate what they're doing. This is what you work for all year and play all season for. This is the time here, September and October.

"

As well as Bumgarner has pitched this season, there may not be a hotter player in baseball right now than Volquez. According to the ESPN Stats & Info Twitter page, he has been lights-out:

Volquez is one of the biggest surprises of the year. After spending last postseason in the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen, he has emerged as one of the more reliable pitchers in the National League and the unsung star of Pittsburgh’s starting rotation.

Neither Bumgarner nor Volquez gets the mainstream attention they deserve for the work they have put in, but both men are given a huge stage to perform on Wednesday night. The biggest difference will be which offense can find a way to small-ball runs off these two stingy pitchers.

San Francisco has a tough offensive unit that can be dangerous when playing well. As consistently reliable as catcher Buster Posey is for the team, the Giants may be too dependent on streaky hitters like Hunter Pence.

On the other hand, the Pirates offense is paced by outfielder Andrew McCutchen. As one of the best all-around hitters in baseball, Bumgarner will have a hard time fooling a batter as smart as McCutchen. Add in players like Neil Walker and Ike Davis, and Pittsburgh has the firepower needed to advance to the next round.

San Francisco deserves credit for making it to this point of the season, but the Pirates are playing too well to falter and miss the next round.

Predicted Final Score: Pittsburgh 6, San Francisco 3

*Stats via MLB.com.

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