Madison Bumgarner achieved baseball glory at the age of 21.

Two years later, he nearly lost it as quickly as it was attained.

On the second day of production of the 2012 World Series, the Giants soft spoken starter pitched his way back into national lore in a 2-0 defeat of the Detroit Tigers.

After a miserable start to his postseason campaign through Cincinnati and St. Louis, Bumgarner found himself on the outside looking in. Never putting himself before the good of the team, he dug deep with pitching coach Dave Righetti and helped maintain his team’s position in the postseason driver’s seat.

It all started in the top of the first inning against the Tigers.

Determined to recover from the failures of the first two series, Bumgarner made quick work of the Tigers’ dangerous lineup. He turned a 2-0 count disadvantage against Austin Jackson into a surgical strike-three dismantling of Detroit’s leadoff hitter. He followed suit by striking out Omar Infante on three pitches and retiring Miguel Cabrera on three more.

In the bottom of the frame, Doug Fister showed absolutely zero rust from the Tigers’ extended layoff. He retired the Giants in order via an inning triple crown of strikeout, groundout and fly out.

For those expecting the dramatics of a martially trained bear breaking historic long-ball records, this was a night that made Game 1 seem like a veritable home run derby. Game 2 was indeed something else entirely.

Well, except for a play that irrevocably changed the course of the game, if not series.

The ever imposing Prince Fielder—a man that could play defensive tackle in the NFL—stepped up to the plate at the top of the second. Before the sequence could even really begin, Bumgarner inadvertently hit the burly first baseman to put himself in the stretch.

With the accomplished postseason masher in Delmon Young coming up, the situation would inevitably escalate, because baseball’s biggest stage just wouldn’t have it any other way.

The southpaw threw strike one and things settled down. But just when the observing masses tired to catch their breath—Bumgarner included—Young laced one down the left field line to the relative horror of all in attendance. As the ball caromed of the wall, it rolled away just far enough from Gregor Blanco for the Tigers’ third base coach to enthusiastically wave home the hard-charging Fielder.

In the next few moments that transpired in what seemed like slow motion experienced only in the movies, the relative horror reared its ugly head. Blanco launched the ball back into the infield, missing the cutoff man and fortunately landing it in the hands of Marco Scutaro. With Fielder barreling home like a Mack Truck towards the franchise’s lifeblood, Scutaro immediately fired a strike to Buster Posey at home.

Then, with disturbing memories of the infamous collision at home plate that nearly ended the Giants’ catcher’s career in mind, Posey stifled all fears—positioning himself perfectly out of harm’s ways and laying down an excellent swipe tag just before Fielder crossed home.

A quick six pitches later and the deciding moment of the game ended before anyone could possibly process it. The Tigers were about to experience their first lead, the Giants their first deficit and the fans their first moment without pure unadulterated bliss.

But what actually transpired was just a baseball moment in which a left fielder, second baseman and catcher all did their job—however seemingly heroic—and emerged on top.

What it did, however, was keep the momentum in favor of the Giants—and one they would never relinquish. Other than a fortuitously placed bunt, run-scoring double play and sacrifice fly by Hunter Pence, what decided this game was classically dominant pitching and All Star-worthy defense.

Bumgarner tossed seven innings of efficient, shut-out ball, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. He extended his World Series scoreless innings’ streak to 15.

Fister, as not to be discredited in the least, courageously overcame a screaming line drive off the side of his head and nearly shut out the Giants as well. He departed having pitched six innings, giving up one run, four hits and striking out three.

As for the fleeting, yet game-winning runs, the Giants scored their first run off a Brandon Crawford double play with the bases loaded in the seventh and second off Pence’s sac fly in the eighth.

It was a classic pitching matchup at AT&T Park where two ace-material pitchers hogged most of the attention. One rescued himself from a potentially career-altering start, while the other overcame a potentially career-ending collision.

What will be remembered from Game 2 of the 2012 World Series, however, was a momentary lapse of judgment by a third base coach and game-saving catch-and-throw by a couple baseball lifers. One team will question its tactics until a moment for redemption presents itself—all the while wondering “what if”—while the other will push forward with cautious resolve—fully aware of the sleeping tiger.

“They're American League champions. Those guys were picked to be here from the get-go for a reason,” said Giants closer Sergio Romo.

“So you don't count them out."

As it stands, the Giants will travel to Detroit with a 2-0 advantage in the Fall Classic. With three games in the Motor City, their sole mission is to hold serve and come home with ultimate victory in hand. The Tigers, meanwhile, plan on returning to San Francisco with a chance at victory of their own.

Both teams will inch closer to their goals come Game 3 on Saturday.