That wasn't all. The Giants were three outs away from forcing the Cubs, the Majors' best team during the regular season, to play a Game 5 in the Division Series. Then the bullpen, which blew 30 regular-season save opportunities, couldn't hold a 5-2 lead in the ninth inning of Game 4. This final collapse manifested itself in four runs that eliminated the Giants, stunned legions of fans and could have rocked the front office.
However, the Giants' braintrust recovered quickly. Club president Larry Baer said he was "incredibly proud" of the club that never stopped competing. Executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean praised the Giants for going "toe-to-toe with a team that's supposed to win the World Series.