Pablo Sandoval shakes off flu, shows his postseason prowess again

SAN FRANCISCO — This time, it was the San Francisco Giants’ turn to strike in the sixth inning.

After the Kansas City Royals won Games 2 and 3 of the World Series thanks to sixth-inning rallies, the Giants broke a 4-4 tie in Game 4 with a three-run rally that paved the way for their 11-4 comeback win.

At the center of it was perpetual postseason hero Pablo Sandoval, whose two-out bases loaded single unknotted the game. He had two hits on the night, raising his career postseason batting average to .326 and giving him 20 RBIs.

To add even more to his postseason lure: Sandoval shook off the flu. He was sick Friday, got IV treatment Saturday and didn’t take infield practice.

“I was going to play no matter what,” Sandoval said after the game.

Call this his “flu game.” It wasn’t as individually dominant as Michael Jordan’s famous flu game in the 1997 NBA Finals, but it sure was important for the Giants. They had fallen behind 4-1 in the third inning and rallied to tie the game in the fifth.

The win evens the World Series at two games apiece, giving the Giants a chance to go ahead 3-2 in Game 5 with ace Madison Bumgarner on the mound. That’s a far better situation than going home Saturday night down 3-1.

Both of Sandoval’s hits came from the right side too. He only hit .199/.244/.319 right-hander in the regular season, so this performance was even more impressive.

“He really came through and delivered for us in a big way,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “It was good to see him swing the bat the way he is from that side … I was a little concerned about him maybe being a little washed out today. He goes out there and has a great game for us. He seems to rise to the occasion when you need him.”

Sandoval certainly had the energy to celebrate his hit once he landed on first base, waving his arms in excitement.

“Clutch hitter,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “What are you going to say about that? … Won the ballgame for them”

Yost could have said he wished Sandoval were too sick to play, though it didn’t sound like much was going to prevent him from taking the field.

“I was going to be out there,” a smiling Sandoval said.

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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz