Schedule and 2012 Results
Regular Season Records: San Francisco 94-68, St. Louis 88-74
Game 1 on Sunday, 14 October: St. Louis wins at San Francisco, 6-runs-4
Game 2 on Monday, 15 October: St. Louis loses at San Francisco, 7-runs-1
Game 3 on Wednesday, 17 October: San Francisco loses at St. Louis, 3-runs-1
Game 4 on Thursday, 18 October: San Francisco loses at St. Louis, 8-runs-3
Game 5 on Friday, 19 October: San Francisco wins at St. Louis, 5-runs-nil
Game 6 on Sunday, 21 October: St. Louis loses at San Francisco, 6-runs-1
Game 7 on Monday, 22 October: St. Louis loses at San Francisco, 9-runs-nil

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The San Francisco Giants hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-runs-nil for a 4-games-3 win in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186. With the series 1186 win, the San Francisco Giants improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 5-4 overall and 4-1 with an active four-series winning streak in the MLB Semifinals. With the series 1186 loss, the St. Louis Cardinals see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 16-12 overall and 5-5 in the MLB Semifinals. The win order for the victorious San Francisco Giants in series 1186 was LWLLWWW: Series 1186 thus becomes the second MLB Semifinals series, the fifth MLB series (all rounds), and the 19th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The series 1186 Game 7 victory marks the first Game 7 win in four tries by the San Francisco Giants in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series. The series 1186 loss marks the fourth time that the St. Louis Cardinals have taken a 3-games-1 lead in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series only to lose that series (thus tying them with the NHL Washington Capitals for the most MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series lost after leading 3-games-1). In series 1186 Games 5-7, San Francisco outscored St. Louis 20-runs-1 in the most one-sided best-of-7 MLB playoff Games 5-7 since the Atlanta Braves outscored St. Louis 32-runs-1 in series 721 Games 5-7 (en route to victory in the 1996 National League Championship Series). In series 1186 as a whole, San Francisco outscored St. Louis 35-runs-19 (+16). In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, then, the aggregate run differential for the San Francisco Giants improves to +33, which is behind only the New York Yankees (+220), Atlanta Braves (+55), and Philadelphia Athletics (+41) for best best-of-7 MLB playoff run differential (all rounds). In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the aggregate run differential for the St. Louis Cardinals falls to -55, which is now behind that of the Chicago Cubs (-53) for worst best-of-7 MLB playoff run differential (all rounds).

After Game 6: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186 having returned to California for Game 6, the San Francisco Giants hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-runs-1 to force a climactic Game 7. The San Francisco Giants have an overall Game 7 record of 0-3 and a Semifinals-round Game 7 record of 0-1. The St. Louis Cardinals have an overall Game 7 record of 11-4 with an active three-Game 7 winning streak, and a Semifinals-round Game 7 record of 3-1. The eleven Game 7 St. Louis victories lead MLB in best-of-7 playoff series (next is the New York Yankees with six Game 7 wins). In the history of best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, only three such series have followed the LWLLWW @ HHVVVH win/site order posted by the San Francisco Giants through six games of series 1186. All three occurred in MLB. In series 18 (by the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Washington Senators in the 1925 MLB Finals) and series 473 (by the Boston Red Sox against the California Angels in the 1986 American League Championship Series), the teams doing so won the series; in series 186 (by the Boston Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 MLB Finals), the team doing so lost the series.

After Game 5: The San Francisco Giants visited and shut out the St. Louis Cardinals 5-runs-nil in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186 Game 5, thus narrowing the St. Louis lead in series 1186 to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 7-4 overall series record, a 3-8 overall Game 6 record, a 3-1 Semifinals-round series record, and a 2-2 Semifinals-round Game 6 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the San Francisco Giants have a 0-1 overall series record, a 1-0 overall Game 6 record, a 0-0 Semifinals-round series record, and a 0-0 Semifinals-round Game 6 record (their sole series fitting this criterion: series 151 – the 1962 MLB Finals against the New York Yankees). San Francisco tallied four of its five runs in the top of the fourth inning; on four occasions now has series 1186 featured a team (thrice San Francisco; once St. Louis) scoring four runs in its half of the fourth inning. No other best-of-7 MLB playoff series offers more than one instance of either team scoring four runs in its half of the fourth inning. In the history of best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, only four such series have followed the WLWWL @ VVHHH win/site order posted by the St. Louis Cardinals through five games of series 1186. All four occurred in MLB. In series 18 (by the Washington Senators against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1925 MLB Finals) and series 473 (by the California Angels against the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 American League Championship Series), the teams doing so lost the series; in series 186 (by the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in the 1967 MLB Finals) and 1120 (by the San Francisco Giants against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2010 National League Championship Series), the teams doing so won the series. So it is that the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals in series 1186 seek to emulate both their 1967 counterparts and the 2010 counterparts of their current opponents.

After Game 4: The St. Louis Cardinals hosted and defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-runs-3 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186 Game 4, thus taking a 3-games-1 series 1186 lead. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 3-3 overall series record, a 2-4 overall Game 5 record, a 0-1 Semifinals-round series record, and a 0-1 Semifinals-round Game 5 record. The San Francisco Giants trail a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1 for the first time. The St. Louis Cardinals have lost an MLB-most three best-of-7 MLB playoff series upon having led 3-games-1 (series 201, to the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 MLB Finals; series 458, to the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 MLB Finals; series 721, to the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 National League Championship Series); St. Louis trails only the NHL Washington Capitals (four best-of-7 playoff series losses in the wake of having led 3-games-1) in that category among MLB/NBA/NHL teams.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186 having shifted to Missouri, the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants sandwiched a 3:28 rain delay with a 3:02 game, won 3-runs-1 by the host Cardinals. St. Louis thus takes a 2-games-1 series 1186 lead. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 12-3 overall series record with an active five-series winning streak, a 6-9 overall Game 4 record, a 4-1 Semifinals-round series record, and a 1-4 Semifinals-round Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, the San Francisco Giants have a 0-3 overall series record, a 3-0 overall Game 4 record, a 0-1 Semifinals-round series record, and a 1-0 Semifinals-round Game 4 record. With the series 1186 Game 3 win, the St. Louis Cardinals now own an MLB/NBA/NHL-best 5-0 best-of-7 Semifinals-round Game 3 home record (next are the NBA Chicago Bulls, the NBA Utah Jazz, and the newly-arrived Detroit Tigers via series 1185 Game 3 – all at 4-0). The San Francisco Giants have an MLB/NBA/NHL-best 4-0 best-of-7 Semifinals-round Game 4 record irrespective of site.

After Game 2: Knotting MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186 at 1-game-all, the San Francisco Giants rode another four-run fourth-inning to hosting and defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 7-runs-1. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the San Francisco Giants have a 2-3 overall series record, a 2-3 overall Game 3 record, a 2-1 Semifinals series record, and a 2-1 Semifinals Game 3 record, while the St. Louis Cardinals have a 14-4 overall series record with an active four-series winning streak, a 13-5 overall Game 3 record with an active four-Game 3 winning streak, a 3-2 Semifinals series record, and a 4-1 Semifinals Game 3 record. Two previous best-of-7 MLB playoff series have featured the home team losing Game 1 by two runs and winning Game 2 by six runs: In series 746, the Atlanta Braves did so against the Florida Marlins in the 1997 National League Championship Series, and lost the series in six games; in series 820, the New York Yankees did so against the Seattle Mariners in the 2000 American League Championship Series, and won the series in six games.

After Game 1: The St. Louis Cardinals visited and defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-runs-4 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the St. Louis Cardinals have an overall series record of 7-3, an overall Game 2 record of 2-8 with an active three-Game 2 losing streak, a Semifinals series record of 2-1, and a Semifinals Game 2 record of 1-2. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the San Francisco Giants have an overall series record of 0-3, an overall Game 2 record of 2-1, a Semifinals series record of 0-1, and a Semifinals Game 2 record of 1-0. The eight combined runs by St. Louis and San Francisco in the fourth inning are the second-most ever in a fourth inning of a best-of-7 format MLB playoff game, next only to series 130 Game 6 (in which the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and the host Chicago White Sox notched nine fourth-inning runs en route to L.A. 9-runs-3 game and 4-games-2 series wins in the 1959 MLB Finals). The San Francisco series 1186 Game 1 loss breaks a four-Game 1 San Francisco winning streak in best-of-7 format MLB playoff series.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2012 MLB regular season, the San Francisco Giants finished six games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. From 1905 through the 2011 MLB Finals round, inclusive, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by six regular-season games, they have posted a 7-5 (.583) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1186 is the 28th best-of-7 MLB playoff series for St. Louis, and the ninth for San Francisco. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, St. Louis has a 16-11 series record with an active four-series winning streak, a 5-4 Semifinals-round series record, and a 10-17 Game 1 record, while San Francisco has a 4-4 series record, a 3-1 Semifinals-round record with an active three-series winning streak, and a 5-3 Game 1 record with an active four-Game 1 winning streak. Series 1186 is the third best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between St. Louis and San Francisco: St. Louis won series 499 (the 1987 National League Championship Series); San Francisco won series 871 (the 2002 NLCS).