The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants began their fist battle in the National League Championship Series Saturday night in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals' Adam Wainwright (20-9 2.38 era) squared off against San Fran's Madison Bumgarner (18-10 2.98 era). This was billed as an all out war between the two franchises that have have won the last four NL pennants.

It did not disappoint if you are a Giants fans, as they won 3-0 over the Cardinals.

The first inning started off with a quick top inning and a threat in the bottom. San Francisco would go 3-up-3-down in a very efficient inning for Wainwright in the top of the first. Bumgarner then took the hill for the Giants. Matt Carpenter led the inning and series off with a single to right. With one out, Matt Holliday hammered one into the right-center gap, but the wind knocked it down. It was all tied 0-0 at the end of one.

To start the top of the second, Pablo Sandoval drilled one into right, and Randall Grichuk dropped the ball after crashing into the wall. Hunter Pence would walk and Brandon Belt flared a blooper into left. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Brandon Crawford came up. Crawford struck out, but Travis Ishikawa blooped one into left and the Giants scored the first run to make it 1-0 Giants. Bumgarner would line out to short, and Gregory Blanco lined a hard grounder to Matt Carpenter for a 2-0 lead and the Cards' first postseason error. Wainwright would get Joe Panik to hit a comebacker, but the damage was done.

San Francisco would scratch out another run in the next frame for a 3-0 lead. That, coupled with approaching 100 pitches, ran Adam Wainwright out of the game with just 2 outs in the 5th. Yet, another disappointing start for Adam Wainwright this post season, as Wainwright was tagged for 6 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched in game one of the NLDS.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, Madison Bumgarner continued to deal. He was incredible all the way into the 7th when the Cardinals started another late inning rally. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs, Bumgarner struck pinch hitter Tony Cruz out swinging to end the inning. San Francisco was still up 3-0 at the end of the 7th. 

Madison Bumgarner was the difference in game one. He would go on into the 8th before he left with the bases empty. He pitched 7 and 2/3 of no run baseball and held a 3-0 lead for the Giants. Sergio Romo would finish the eighth to set it up for Sergio Casilla. Casilla slammed the ninth inning door with a 1-2-3 9th, and the San Francisco Giants now have a 1-0 lead in the NLCS. 

If the Cards are going to make this a series, Sunday's game has to be looked upon as a must-win game. It may be early, but nobody wants to go out to San Fran for three games in an 0-2 hole. Lance Lynn is the perfect stopper that Cardinal Nation can count on.

St. Louis will turn to Lance Lynn for game two in the NLCS and San Francisco will counter with trade deadline addition Jake Peavy. The game is on Fox Sports One and can also be followed here on VAVEL LIVE!