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SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES
October 18, 1916 – PNC Park
Written in the voice of Ignacio "Nacho" Varga
You don’t always see how close something is until it slips past you. San Francisco found that out tonight. One bad inning. That’s all it takes. One missed cue, one mistake you didn’t even realize you were making. The Pirates saw their shot in the seventh. They took it. Now they’re one win away from the World Series.
They weren’t flashy. They weren’t loud. But they didn’t flinch.
Aaron Glenn—lefty, quiet, didn’t give up more than he had to. Seven innings. Four runs. Not perfect, but he kept them in it. That’s all Pittsburgh needed. Because that seventh inning? That’s where it turned.
Giants came out strong. Three-run first. A triple from Dominguez, all three runs brought in. They looked like they were in control. They felt in control. But in baseball, control is temporary. Pressure builds. The ones who can take the weight—that’s who survives.
By the sixth, Jantz cracks a triple, scores. Then comes the seventh. Giants’ starter, Stevens, had been solid. But the cracks were there. He just didn’t see them. Omar Macias pinch hits, ties it up. Brian Davis steps in—two outs. Could’ve been nothing. Could’ve been over. Instead, he slaps a single. Go-ahead run. Just like that. Giants never recovered.
You can feel it slipping and you can’t stop it.
Pirates closer C. Witcher came in, cleaned up like a pro. Two innings, no hits, no walks. Ice. Cold.
Giants’ manager? Said they’re not done. “We didn’t get this far to give up.” Thing is, I believe him. But believing and winning ain’t the same thing.
Game 5 is tomorrow. Same park. Same wind cutting through right field. Pittsburgh’s got the edge. But edge doesn’t mean safety. It just means you’ve got something to lose.
And everyone’s got something to lose.
Final: Pittsburgh 5, San Francisco 4
Pirates lead series 3–1.
Next game: PNC Park. Cold. Tight. No room for mistakes.
—Nacho
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