Nationals vs. Giants: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 MLB Playoffs

The San Francisco Giants booked a spot in the National League Championship Series on Tuesday night, grinding out a 3-2 win to eliminate the Washington Nationals.

It wasn't always pretty, but Bruce Bochy's squad found a way to get it done. Ryan Vogelsong gave up just one earned run through 5.2 innings, while the Giants plated all three runs on plays that didn't involve a hit.

Fox Sports had thoughts from Nationals manager Matt Williams and Bochy following the game:

Fox Sports also noted the Giants' overall postseason success:

Bryce Harper hit his third home run of the series for the Nationals, but Gio Gonzalez went just four innings and an Aaron Barrett wild pitch scored the game-winning run for the Giants in the seventh.

After escaping trouble in the first inning, Gonzalez did himself no favors in the second, letting Juan Perez's dribbler roll off his glove to jump-start a rally for the Giants. Vogelsong followed the error with a bunt single to load the bases, and a walk and groundout brought two across the plate for San Francisco.

Comcast SportsNet's Mark Zuckerman summed up the bizarre inning:

The 29-year-old settled down and retired eight in a row, but a pinch hitter ended his night after four innings, four hits, a walk, two unearned runs and a strikeout.

Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post gave his thoughts on the up-and-down outing, which lasted only 55 pitches:

In the meantime, Vogelsong, who had a miserable month of September, was rolling right along. He gave up zero hits through the first four frames, and as MLB.com's Chris Haft noted, there was a significant uptick in his velocity during his first appearance in 11 days:

Washington finally got to him in the fifth when Harper doubled home Ian Desmond with zero outs, but he got out of the jam allowing just one earned run.

He then came out for the sixth, leading Grantland's Jonah Keri and FanGraphs' David Cameron to forecast trouble:

The risk was negated by Hunter Pence, though. Jayson Werth delivered a towering shot to right, but Pence made a spectacular grab while crashing into the chain-link fence to save extra bases.

Bleacher Report's Twitter feed provided a look at the catch and reaction, while ESPN's Jayson Stark praised the veteran right fielder:

That was the last batter Vogelsong would face, but the bullpen couldn't protect his lead. For the second time in the series, Harper took Hunter Strickland deep, demolishing a fastball over the foul pole and into McCovey Cove.

The blast, which tied the game at two, put the 21-year-old in rare company, per MLB's Twitter feed and ESPN Stats & Info:

"

Bryce Harper has FOUR #postseason HRs before the age of 22. Only other players to do that? Andruw Jones, Miggy and Mantle.

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2014"

San Francisco immediately regained the lead when Barrett's wild pitch brought home Joe Panik, but the Nationals were able to limit the damage to one run. It just wasn't in conventional fashion. Attempting to intentionally walk Pablo Sandoval with first base now open, Barrett lobbed one well over Wilson Ramos' head, only to cover home and lay the tag on Buster Posey trying to score from third.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke likened the wild play to a movie scene:

That was all the Giants would need, though. Sergio Romo pitched a perfect eighth, and Santiago Casilla slammed the door shut in the ninth to seal the win.

For all the constant turnover in sports—the Boston Red Sox going from 69 wins to World Series champs to 71 wins, for example—the National League hierarchy has remained remarkably steady over the past half-decade.

San Francisco's win sets up an NLCS meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals, meaning one of those two teams will be in the Fall Classic for the fifth consecutive year.

Sports Illustrated notes the Cardinals and Giants' recent postseason runs:

Giants fans will simply be hoping their team does what they've done the past seven postseason series: win.