Giants make history with victory over Reds

CINCINNATI — Not just any comeback would get San Francisco back to playing for a pennant. It would take one of Giant proportions.

Bye-Bye, Baby: San Francisco's Buster Posey watches his grand slam against Cincinnati leave the yard in the fifth inning of Game 5 on Thursday. The Giants beat the Reds 6-4. AP

And Buster Posey believed it could happen. Even after the Giants left the West Coast down two games, the National League batting champion insisted his team could pull it off, despite the long odds.

With one swing, he got everyone else believing it, too.

Posey hit the third grand slam in Giants' postseason history on Thursday, and San Francisco pulled off an unprecedented revival, moving into the National League Championship Series with a 6-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

"You don't want to be in a lose-and-you're-out scenario," reliever Jeremy Affeldt said, wearing a brace on his left wrist so he didn't hurt it in the champagne-flavored clubhouse celebration. "We've been in that situation for three days. We're probably going to sleep well tonight."

They'll play either Washington or St. Louis for the NL pennant, Sunday, not caring at all who they face.

"We could go up against anybody at any time," shortstop Brandon Crawford said. "Being down 2-0 and coming back and winning three at their place, it's an unbelievable feeling."

Game 1 of the NLCS will be Sunday, either in Washington against the Nationals or in San Francisco vs. the Cardinals. In the meantime, the Giants will stay in Cincinnati until their next opponent is determined Friday night when the Cards and Nats play Game 5.

The Giants became the first NL team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the division series, which began in 1995. Major League Baseball's changed playoff format this season allowed them to become the first to take a best-of-five by winning the last three on the road.

Posey's second career grand slam off Mat Latos put San Francisco up 6-0 in the fifth and sparked a joyous scrum in the Giants dugout. The ball smacked off the front of the upper deck in left field, just above Latos' name on the video board.

For the first time in the series, the Giants could exhale.

"I don't think anybody gave up," Posey said.

Will Clark, in the 1989 NLCS, and Chuck Hiller, in the 1962 World Series, hit the other Giants slams in the postseason.

Matt Cain and the bullpen held on, with more help from Posey. The All-Star catcher threw out Jay Bruce at third base to snuff out a sixth-inning rally that cut it to 6-3. The Giants had a pair of diving catches that preserved the lead in the eighth.

There was more drama in the ninth. Ryan Ludwick singled home a run off Sergio Romo. With two runners aboard, Romo fanned Scott Rolen to end it.

The Giants raised their arms, hugged and huddled by the side of the mound, bouncing in unison.

"It was a spectacular moment," outfielder Hunter Pence said.

In Cincinnati, the home-field meltdown had a sickeningly familiar feeling. The Reds haven't won a home playoff game in 17 years. After taking the first two on the West Coast, all they needed was one more at home, where they hadn't dropped three straight all season.

"You get tired of the disappointments, but then you get over it," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. "It hurts big-time."

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BYU completes largest rally in tourney history

DAYTON, Ohio — With his team in the midst of the biggest comeback in NCAA tournament history, BYU coach Dave Rose caught the look in his players' eyes and was reassured.

A rally for the ages was in the making.

Noah Hartsock scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and the Cougars came back from 25 points down to beat Iona 78-72 in the first round Tuesday night.

During a timeout after the Cougars had pared the lead to single digits midway through the second half, Rose saw something he'll never forget.

"The look in our players' eyes at that time was, 'Game on. We've got a chance here,' " Rose said. "And we were able to finish it off."

Brandon Davies added 18 points and Damarcus Harrison 12 for the 14th-seeded Cougars (26-8), who advanced to play third-seeded Marquette on Thursday.

It marked the biggest comeback in an NCAA tournament game, the organization said. Previously, the largest deficit overcome was 22 points in 2001 when Duke fought back to beat Maryland 95-84 in the national semifinals.

Hartsock was a little hurt that President Barack Obama, who watched the early game in Dayton, wasn't around to see the fireworks.

"I started looking around and didn't see him," Hartsock said with a grin. "But I'm sure he had some important things to take care of."

DAYTON, Ohio — So many things happened in those five final, furious minutes that Western Kentucky coach Ray Harper had trouble taking it all in.

"Wow," he said, his face still flush with March emotion. "I don't know where to begin."

The only team with a losing record in the NCAA tournament got it started with a classic March comeback — in front of a presidential audience, no less. T.J. Price's three-point play with 33 seconds to go completed the Hilltoppers' rally from a 16-point deficit over the last 5 minutes for a 59-58 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday night.

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron had front-row seats to see the tournament open with a ragged game that had a record ending. It was the biggest margin overcome by a team in the final 5 minutes to win an NCAA tournament game, the organization said.

"It's a crazy feeling," said Derrick Gordon, who had 11 points. "That's the president of the United States coming to watch our game. We wanted to put on a show. Things didn't work our way for the first 35 minutes, but we came away with the W."

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Moore makes endorsement history

MINNEAPOLIS — Top WNBA draft Maya Moore has become the first female basketball player to sign an endorsement deal with the Jordan Brand, a division of Nike Inc.

The Oregon-based sportswear business in basketball great Michael Jordan's name announced the agreement Wednesday.

Moore was selected by the Minnesota Lynx out of the University of Connecticut last month. Considered one of the best players to turn pro in years, she won two national titles at UConn and is a two-time winner of the Associated Press Player of the Year award.

In a statement issued by the company, Jordan says he's "thrilled" to welcome Moore to the commercial team. He says her "hunger and determination to make an impact off the court makes her a valuable addition."

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