The Giants finished the season with an 88–74 record. The Giants defeated the Pirates in the 2014 National League Wild Card Game, with Madison Bumgarner pitching a complete game shutout and Brandon Crawford hitting a grand slam off of Pirates starter Edinson Vólquez. The Giants won the NLDS, defeating the Washington Nationals and passing the Cincinnati Reds' Big Red Machine for a new National League record in consecutive postseason victories. The Giants played the Cardinals in the NLCS, winning in five games. Travis Ishikawa hit a game winning walk-off 3-run homer in Game 5. Madison Bumgarner was named MVP of the series. The Giants faced the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 World Series, defeating the AL Champions 4–3. Madison Bumgarner was also named the World Series MVP. The championship was the Giants' third in a five-year span, spurring debate over whether the Giants could be considered a modern-day baseball dynasty.