Giants’ collapse starts with odd move

SAN FRANCISCO — Dexter Fowler hopelessly froze in the batter’s box and Giants catcher Buster Posey began jogging back to the dugout before the umpire called the third strike.

Fowler watched Matt Moore’s cutter paint the outside edge of the strike zone for the final out of the eighth inning and it seemed to embody the type of night Cubs batters were enduring. They simply couldn’t find an answer against Moore, who allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits through eight shutdown innings in the Giants’ 6-5 Game 4 loss in the National League Division Series on Tuesday night.

Game Date Matchup TV/Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 7 CHC 1, SF 0 Gm 2 Oct. 8 CHC 5, SF 2 Gm 3 Oct. 10 SF 6, CHC, 5 (13) Gm 4 Oct. 11 CHC 6, SF 5 • Giants vs. Cubs NLDS coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Giants

In what the left-hander called the most important start of his career, Moore rarely flinched. He struck out 10 batters and grew more dominant as the game wore on, retiring the last nine hitters he faced. But Moore also watched as the Cubs’ offense kicked into gear as soon as he exited, scoring four runs off five Giants relievers to clinch the NLDS.

Instead of heading back to Chicago for Game 5, Moore and the rest of the club were left wondering if he could have gone one …

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