Preview: Giants at Pirates in NL wild-card game

Preview: Giants at Pirates in NL wild-card game
By Mike Axisa | Baseball Writer
September 29, 2014 9:22 PM ET

Edinson Volquez (l.) and Madison Bumgarner will start the 2014 NL wild-card game.Edinson Volquez (l.) and Madison Bumgarner will start the 2014 NL wild-card game. (USATSI)

San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 8:07 p.m. E.T. TV: ESPN

For the second straight year, the NL wild-card game will be playing in Pittsburgh's PNC Park. The Pirates knocked the Reds out of the postseason last year and this year they'll look to do the same to the Giants, a much more formidable foe in terms of postseason experience.

The most notable recent historical connection between these two teams is the defection of Barry Bonds. He left the Pirates as a free agent to sign with the Giants in 1993. Does that matter in the wild-card game? Not one bit.

Pitching matchup: Madison Bumgarner (18-10, 2.98) vs. Edinson Volquez (13-7, 3.04)

Bumgarner vs. Pirates hitters: Bumgarner made one start against the Pirates this year and he got hammered, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks in four innings on July 28. That game was played in AT&T Park and it was the only time in his final 15 starts that Bumgarner did not complete six full innings of work.

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