Reliving the 2012 Giants' improbable title run

When their backs were up against the wall, the 2012 Giants always found a way to win.

Buoyed by Buster Posey's MVP form, Hunter Pence's impassioned speeches, Barry Zito's redemption and Marco Scutaro and Pablo Sandoval's clutch hitting, the Giants won six consecutive elimination games in the postseason to clinch their second World Series title in three years.

San Francisco overcame improbable deficits against the Reds in the National League Division Series and the Cardinals in the NL Championship Series before sweeping the Tigers in the World Series to cement the team’s early 2010s dynasty.

These Giants were more established than the 2010 club that won the franchise’s first championship in 56 years, but they still surmounted several obstacles thanks to contributions from several players who ended up thriving in unexpected roles.

"I think when you look at this club, the terms 'teamwork,' 'team play,' 'play as a team' -- that's used loosely, but these guys truly did," manager Bruce Bochy said. "They set aside their own agenda and asked what's best for the club.”

Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest moments from that memorable 2012 campaign:

April 6: Buster’s back
The Giants dropped their season opener, 5-4, to the D-backs, but the game still marked a triumphant moment for Posey, who returned to regular-season action for the first time since suffering a horrific injury in a home-plate collision with the Marlins’ Scott Cousins the previous May. The damage -- including a fractured left fibula and torn left ankle ligaments -- cost Posey the bulk of the 2011 season, but he was back behind the plate on Opening Day 2012, batting cleanup and recording a pair of hits at Chase Field.

It was only the beginning of a remarkable comeback for Posey, who went on to hit .336 with a .957 OPS, 24 home runs and 103 RBIs en route to capturing 2012 NL MVP honors.

April 18: A major blow
Less than two weeks into the season, the Giants lost their closer, as three-time All-Star Brian Wilson was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that required season-ending Tommy John surgery. With Wilson sidelined, the Giants were forced to lean on their other bullpen veterans to fill their ninth-inning void, most notably Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo and Javier López.

June 13: Cain’s perfect game
The Giants received strong pitching from their talented starting rotation, which included Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Zito, but no one reached greater heights than Matt Cain, who became the first pitcher in the franchise’s 139-year history to throw a perfect game in a 10-0 win over Houston at AT&T Park.

Cain retired all 27 Astros he faced during his masterful performance, striking out 14 and throwing 125 pitches. The veteran right-hander received an assist from right fielder Gregor Blanco, who made a spectacular diving catch on a drive by Jordan Schafer to keep the perfect game intact in the seventh. Two innings later, pinch-hitter Jason Castro shot a grounder to third base that Joaquín Arias fielded for the final out, cementing Cain’s place in the history books.

July 10: Stars align
The Giants rolled into the All-Star break with a 46-40 mark, trailing the first-place Dodgers by a half-game in the NL West. They ended up stealing the show at the 2012 All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium, where Melky Cabrera, Sandoval, Posey and Cain each got the start at their respective positions for the NL squad.

Cain, who finished the first half 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA, opened the game with two scoreless innings, while Sandoval provided early run support with a bases-loaded triple in the first inning. Cabrera took home All-Star Game MVP honors after going 2-for-3 with a two-run homer to power the NL’s 8-0 rout of the American League.

July 31: Reinforcements arrive
Locked in a tight division race with the Dodgers, the Giants sought to strengthen their club by making a pair of shrewd deals prior to the 2012 Trade Deadline. On July 27, they acquired Scutaro from the Rockies in exchange for Charlie Culberson. With Freddy Sanchez unavailable following season-ending back surgery, Scutaro took over as the everyday second baseman and hit .362 over 61 regular-season games with San Francisco, earning the nickname “Blockbuster” from his teammates.

Four days after the Scutaro trade, the Giants landed yet another difference-maker in Pence, who came over from the Phillies in exchange for Nate Schierholtz and prospects Tommy Joseph and Seth Rosin. Pence became San Francisco’s starting right fielder, giving the club another big right-handed power bat, as well as an inspirational leader in the clubhouse.

Aug. 15: Melky’s suspension
The Giants sustained another significant loss when Cabrera, who was batting a team-high .346 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs, was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone. Cabrera missed the final 45 games of the regular season and was left off the Giants’ postseason rosters that fall.

"Ultimately, it was just a bad decision," Posey said when the suspension was announced.

Sept. 22: Best in the West
Even after losing Cabrera, the Giants showed their mettle by going 30-15 down the stretch to pull away from the Dodgers and claim their second NL West title in three years. Bumgarner picked up his team-leading 16th win, and first baseman Brandon Belt homered as the Giants beat the Padres, 8-4, to clinch the division at AT&T Park.

"They were relentless," Bochy said afterward. "I love the way they did it. They did it the way they were supposed to do it, by winning."

The Dodgers, meanwhile, finished eight games behind the Giants and missed the playoffs entirely despite adding over $250 million in salary in a blockbuster deal with the Red Sox in August.

Oct. 11: Back from the brink
The Giants’ chances of making it out the first round of the playoffs appeared slim after they lost their first two games at home to fall into a 2-0 deficit against the Reds in the 2012 NLDS. San Francisco headed to Cincinnati on the verge of elimination, but it survived an extra-inning affair in Game 3 with the help of an inspiring pregame speech from Pence.

“Play for each other, not yourself,” Pence implored his teammates. “Win each moment. Win each inning. It’s all we have left.”

The Giants responded with an 8-3 victory in Game 4 to force a decisive Game 5 at Great American Ball Park. Posey subsequently delivered one of his signature moments with the Giants, crushing a grand slam off Reds right-hander Mat Latos in the fifth inning to carry San Francisco to a dramatic 6-4 win and secure a berth in the NLCS.

The Giants punched their ticket in unprecedented fashion, becoming the first team in Major League history to wipe out a two-game deficit in a best-of-five series by winning three straight on the road.

Oct. 22: Another epic comeback seals the pennant
In the NLCS against the Cardinals, the Giants once again fell into a daunting hole after dropping three of the first four games of the best-of-seven series.

With their season on the line, the Giants turned to a 34-year-old Zito, who produced one of the best performances of his career to key a pivotal 5-0 victory in Game 5. Zito -- much maligned in San Francisco for not living up to his six-year, $126 million contract -- tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings and added a run-scoring bunt to keep the Giants’ October run alive.

"He's had his ups and downs as a Giant, and he sure rose to the occasion tonight," former Giants managing general partner Peter Magowan said afterward. "We've got a shot at the World Series because of what he did.”

Zito’s gem proved to be a crucial turning point for the Giants, who then returned home and outscored the Cardinals 15-1 over the next two games to win the NL pennant.

Scutaro, who batted .500 (14-for-28) with six runs scored and four RBIs over the seven-game series, was named the NLCS MVP. In the final inning of the clincher, the Venezuela native took a moment to quite literally soak it all in, as he spread his arms out and looked up at the heavens through pouring rain.

“The rain never felt so good,” Scutaro said.

Oct. 28: How sweep it is
The World Series ended up being the easy part for the Giants, who promptly swept the AL champion Tigers to return to the pinnacle. Sandoval set the tone by launching three home runs in Game 1, including a pair of jaw-dropping shots against Detroit ace Justin Verlander. Sandoval, who had been benched for underperformance during the Giants’ 2010 title run, was ultimately named World Series MVP.

The Giants’ pitching -- which included a pair of shutdown relief appearances from Lincecum -- shined as well, recording a 1.46 ERA and holding the Tigers to a .159 batting average over four games.

Scutaro, of course, came through with the go-ahead hit in Game 4, knocking in Ryan Theriot with a single off Phil Coke to break a 3-3 tie in the top of the 10th inning. Romo struck out the side to earn the save, freezing Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera with a fastball down the middle for the final out of the series.

“Detroit probably didn’t know what it was in for,” general manager Brian Sabean said. “Our guys had a date with destiny.”