R.B. Fallstrom
San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval reacts after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of Game 5 of baseball's National League championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
October 19, 2012 - 11:25 PM
ST. LOUIS - Barry Zito pitched the San Francisco Giants back into the NL championship series, dominating into the eighth inning of a 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night that narrowed their deficit to 3-2.
The defending champion Cardinals might have thrown away a chance to clinch a second straight World Series trip. Pitcher Lance Lynn's toss on a possible forceout deflected off the second-base bag, paving the way for the Giants' four-run fourth.
Pablo Sandoval homered for the second straight night and Zito made an extremely rare offensive contribution with a perfectly executed bunt for an RBI single.
Game 6 will be in San Francisco on Sunday, with Ryan Vogelson pitching for the Giants against Chris Carpenter.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012