Yusmeiro Petit Sets Pablo Sandoval Up to Further Build October Legacy

Yusmeiro Petit and Pablo Sandoval aren't the likeliest pair of heroes. Then again, this hasn't been the likeliest season for the San Francisco Giants.

San Francisco entered Game 4 of the 2014 World Series down 2-1 to the Kansas City Royals after losing a 3-2 heartbreaker Friday night. Suddenly, K.C. looked like a team of destiny: the club guaranteed to get the breaks and the big hits when needed, sometimes in improbable fashion.

Not so fast, said the Giants—that's our deal.

And so, after the Royals built a 4-1 lead in the third inning behind some favorable bounces and timely knocks, San Francisco came storming back. A Buster Posey RBI single made it 4-2 in the bottom of the third, and in the fifth a Juan Perez sacrifice fly (or, rather, sinking liner) evened the score at 4-4.

Then in the sixth, with two outs and the bases loaded, Sandoval stepped to the plate.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Everyone in the park—the Royals, the Giants and thousands of orange-towel-waving fans—knew it was a huge moment. Kansas City was perilously close to handing the game to its shutdown late-inning relievers who have stymied San Francisco—and everyone else—this postseason.

The Giants, meanwhile, had gone a combined 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in their Game 2 and 3 losses. They were searching, desperately, for that clutch hit.

Cue the rotund, switch-hitting "Kung Fu Panda," who spanked a base hit to center field to plate two and send the AT&T Park crowd into a frenzy. And for style points he did it right-handed—by far his weaker side—as CSN Bay Area's Ray Ratto noted:

The Giants would go on to pad their lead in a big way en route to an 11-4 blowout. But it was Sandoval's bat that loomed largest, as it has so many times in October. Remember Game 1, 2012 World Series, three home runs, including two off Justin Verlander?

Of course, Sandoval's heroics wouldn't have been possible without Petit, who once again emerged from the 'pen to save the day.

Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong lasted just 2.2 shaky innings, yielding four runs and seven hits. Then Petit came on in the fourth and did what he's done all October: put up zeroes.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Although Game 4 wound up a laugher, Petit's three shutout innings gave the Giants time to stage their comeback and helped manager Bruce Bochy save key arms in his bullpen, including closer Santiago Casilla and lefty specialist Javier Lopez.

With that commendable effort, Petit added to his stellar 2014 postseason line: 12 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 13 SO. 

After ace Madison Bumgarner, Petit has easily been the most indispensable arm on San Francisco's playoff staff. Not bad for a 29-year-old journeyman who spent much of the season as a spot starter and mop-up man, and whom the Giants signed as a minor league free agent in 2012.

"You can't overstate how important he's been to us," Posey said after Game 4, per Janie McCauley of The Associated Press (via ABC News). "He's expected to go in and pitch three, four, five innings, sometimes less. You don't know when it's going to be. He's got to be ready every game. For him to stay sharp, if he can be a stopper out of the 'pen, he's been that for us."

As for Sandoval, he finished his night 2-for-5 with two gigantic RBI. Overall he's hitting .333 in this World Series. More than that, he's looked like a different Panda—patient, selective and, yes, clutch.

Much has been made of the fact that Sandoval is an impending free agent and that his October performance could boost his value. But as Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News points out:

"

This isn't a contract drive for Pablo Sandoval anymore, it's a statue drive.

These aren't just the kinds of moments that will guarantee a monumental new deal for the Giants' chubby October icon—though they will certainly do that.

This is the stuff that wins championships and builds monuments.

"

The Giants haven't won anything yet. These Royals are resilient, and even if San Francisco wins Game 5 on Sunday behind Bumgarner, the series will shift back to Kansas City, where the playoff-starved Kauffman Stadium faithful will be waiting.

For tonight, though, it's worth pausing to marvel at an unlikely pair of heroes and the unlikely team they just carried one step closer to glory.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference unless otherwise noted.