With a loyal Kansas City Royals crowd screaming constantly at a fever pitch, the San Francisco Giants and ace Madison Bumgarner won a historic World Series Game 7 at Kauffman Stadium Wednesday. It was their third Major League Baseball world championship in five years.

In a Game 7 for the ages, the Royals did all they could in their first World Series appearance in 29 years falling just a run short of a miraculous franchise comeback story.

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In the end, it was baseball evergreen skills, good pitching, timely hitting and great defense, that carried the day for the Giants in a game each side could be proud to have played.

The Royals had a slight advantage going into the decisive Game 7. This was the 37th single-elimination game in World Series history. Home teams had won 19 of the previous 36 Game 7 contests. Home teams were 9-0 since the last time a visiting team won Game 7, the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Royals had won Game 6. The team winning Game 6 in seven-game series history had won Game 7 also 19 of 36 times. Only the 1975 Boston Red Sox and 1997 Cleveland Indians had won Game 6 and lost Game 7 since 1975.

Tim Hudson, 39, of the Giants was the oldest pitcher in MLB history to start a Game 7. He didn't make it through the second inning. Jeremy Guthrie, 35, started for the Royals and got pulled in the fourth inning. It was the first time in Game 7 history that each starting pitcher didn't make it through the fourth inning.

The game didn't disappoint when it came to high drama and sterling play. Each team was at the top of its game with stellar defensive play, heads-up base running and sound fundamentals, despite the stressful circumstances that would make lesser players shrink.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy became the first manager in history to win an instant replay challenge when he questioned first base umpire Eric Cooper's safe call after Eric Hosmer slid head-first into first base in the third inning to avert a double play. Umpires in MLB's New York replay center deemed Hosmer out after an agonizingly long three minute replay review.

Giants ace Bumgarner continued his mastery of the Royals. It was only the third time since 1988 that a pitcher made two starts in a World Series then came out of the bullpen in relief.

Pitching on only two days of rest following a complete game shutout in Game 5, Bumgarner gave up a hit, then got 14 straight outs after the Giants claimed the lead. After throwing his 291st 2014 World Series pitch, he won his third series game along with the most valuable player award.

With a total four wins in four World Series starts, 0.26 ERA and .119 opponent batting average, Bumgarner laid his claim to being  one of the greatest pitchers in World Series history.

Small ball was the rule with Pedro Sandoval on base four times in what may have been his last game for the Giants -- he becomes a free agent now -- and Hunter Pence leading the Giants charge in the top of the second inning. Sandoval and Pence each scored on sacrifice flies for the Giants first runs. Michael Morse drove Sandoval in with a fly ball to right field. Brandon Crawford drove in Pence with a fly ball to center.

The Royals Alex Gordon kicked off their scoring with a double to deep right center scoring Billy Butler who had singled to reach base. Omar Infante knocked in Gordon with a sacrifice fly to center.

The pivotal third run for the Giants came courtesy of a Morse single to right plating Sandoval with Pence taking third. There he remained.

That did it for the scoring. Bumgarner came in, nailed Salvador Perez for the final out and the rest was World Series history.

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