The San Francisco Giants Win the World Series, Thanks to MadBum

The streets of San Francisco were alive with celebrations Wednesday night after the Giants clinched the World Series with a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

This makes them only the fifth team ever to win three World Series in five years.

Ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner was named MVP, finishing 2-0 in the series with one save (a scoring change gave Jeremy Affeldt the Game 7 win). He now has a barely visible, record-low 0.25 career World Series ERA.

Bumgarner came out of the bullpen to throw five scoreless innings on two days' rest, saving the World Series that was pushed to the limit. By winning Game 7 on the road, Bumgarner and the Giants succeeded where no team had in 3½ decades.

"I wasn't thinking about innings or pitch count. I was just thinking about getting outs, getting outs, until I couldn't get them anymore and we needed someone else," he said.

A two-out misplay in the ninth almost wrecked it for Bumgarner and the Giants. He had retired 14 in a row when Alex Gordon's single fell in front of center fielder Gregor Blanco, who let the ball get past him for an error that allowed Gordon to reach third.

But then Bumgarner retired Salvador Perez on a foulout to third baseman Pedro Sandoval. The big left-hander was immediately embraced by catcher Buster Posey, and the rest of the Giants rushed to the mound to join the victory party.

The game was won before a pumped-up, blue-and-white-clad crowd of 40,535 that hoped noise and passion could lift the small-market Royals to a title that seemed improbable when Kansas City was languishing two games under .500 in mid-July.

The Giants won the second all-wild card World Series, 12 years after losing Game 7 to the Angels in the first.

Mayor Ed Lee's office announced that the parade will be this Friday, starting at 12 p.m., and will begin at Market and Steuart Streets and continue up  Market Street to Civic Center Plaza. Lee had this to say:

“The San Francisco skyline is awash in Orange. I congratulate our World Champion San Francisco Giants after another spectacular World Series victory. For the third time in just five years, this world-class organization brought our City together as only our hometown heroes can.

San Francisco waits with giant anticipation for the return of our hometown team so we can celebrate as one City with a parade down Market Street to welcome them home.”

SFMTA tweeted around 10 p.m. that all Muni bus service was suspended until further notice "due to safety concerns."

A play-by-play from the game:

The seventh and final game of the 2014 World Series took place in Kansas City, where the Royals hosted the San Francisco Giants.

In the top of the first inning, KC's veteran starter, Jeremy Guthrie (age 35), relied on his changeup to retire the first three Giants in order on just 10 pitches.

In the bottom of the first inning, SF's even more veteran starter, Tim Hudson (age 39), became the oldest player to ever start a World Series Game 7.

This is also the only Fall Classic he has played in during an otherwise successful 16-year career.

Hudson endured a somewhat shaky first frame, but ultimately prevailed after a walk and 19 pitches.

After one inning, a scoreless tie.

In the top of the second, Pablo Sandoval got hit by a pitch. Hunter Pence, the leading Giants' hitter in this Series, punched a single through the hole to left.

Two on, no out.

Brandon Belt belted a hard single to right to load the bases.

Up stepped Michael Morse with the bases loaded. He hit a line drive out to deep right, Sandoval scored on the sacrifice fly.

The Giants had struck first.

Brandon Crawford hit a deep fly to center, another sacrifice fly.

After 1.5 innings: SF 2 KC 0.

But in the bottom of the second, KC's Billy Butler singled and Alex Gordon doubled to make it 2-1. Then Hudson hit Salvador Perez.

First and second with no outs. A sacrifice fly made it runners on the corners with one out. Omar Infante then tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Score tied. Hudson was unable to make it through the second inning, so Jeremy Affeldt came in to close out the inning for the Giants.

2-2 after 2.

The Giants failed to score in the top of the third. Affeldt stayed in to pitch the bottom of the third. He gave up a leadoff single to right by Lorenzo Cain.

He then induced a grounder that led to one of the best defensive plays of this series by Joe Panik on a ground ball where he dove to get the ball and gloved it to Brandon Crawford to get one out at second and a disputed "safe" call at first. Bruce Bochy called for an umpire review.

The umps got it right. Double play -- two out.

Panik also got a new belt, because his first one broke on the dive.

Butler grounded out to end the inning.

On to the top of the fourth.

Sandoval led off with an infield hit.  And Pence again got on with a soft single to center.

Two on, no out.  This game had begun to take on the feeling of a heavyweight boxing match. Which team would be the last one standing?

Pablo took third on a Belt sacrifice fly to third. First and third with one out and runners on the corners. What would happen next?

Morse then drove in the lead run with a single, 3-2.

Affeldt, who is a former starter for the Royals, pitched a perfect bottom of the fourth.

Top of the fifth.  Giants could not score.

Bottom of the fifth. In perhaps the riskiest move of his coaching career, Giants manager Bruce Bochy brought Madison Bumgarner in as a relief pitcher.

Bumgarner did not, at first, have his best command. But with one out and one on on second base , he struck out Cain to close out the inning.

Still 3-2 Giants. Nothing happened in the top of the sixth for S.F.

So into the bottom of the sixth, the question was: Would Bumgarner come back out and hold the line? This game was long from over.

Bumgarner did indeed come back out. First batter, pop out to short. Second batter, fly out. Third batter, fly out, and the Giants continued to hold onto their slim lead.

On to the top of the seventh. Royals' reliever Wade Davis held the game at 2-3.

Bottom of the seventh: Bumgarner was back out for the Giants. He retired the side.

Back to the bottom of  the eighth. Bumgarner was in there again. This is an unprecedented situation. Three straight outs.

On to the ninth.

Bumgarner was brought back out for the bottom of the ninth. In the history of baseball, there has never been anything like this.

But with two outs, the Royals get the potentially tying run to third base. Pop up to Sandoval! Giants win.

- Olivia Allen-Price and Adam Grossberg contributed to this report.