Game 1: Pandamonium - Prior to Game 1 of the World Series, pundits gave the San Francisco Giants little chance against the reigning AL Cy Young & MVP Justin Verlander and predicted the Detroit Tigers would make quick work of game 1 starter Barry Zito. Little did they know the exact opposite would take place. Having won Zito's last 13 starts, it was thought that the Giants would have their work cut out for them if they planned to make it 14, but a guy who goes by the nickname 'Kung-Fu Panda' would prove otherwise. Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval who was left off of the postseason roster in 2010 alongside Zito when the Giants brought their first World Series title back to the city by the bay, made up for lost time with two home runs in his first two at-bats versus Tigers ace Justin Verlander who also surrendered a bases-clearing triple to Sandoval in July's All-Star Game which awarded the Giants home-field advantage in this year's Fall Classic.
Sandoval's home run in the first inning which came on an 0-2 pitch and gave the Giants an early 1-0 lead was the first homer Verlander had allowed in an 0-2 count this season. Sandoval's heroics would continue just two innings later when Angel Pagan sparked a 2-out rally in the third with a double that appeared to be on its way to the glove of Miguel Cabrera but instead bounced off the third base bag and rolled into the outfield. Marco Scutaro drove in the game's second run by lacing an RBI single up the middle, bringing Sandoval to the plate a chance to cause more damage. Two pitches later he would do just that, sending a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for an opposite-field home run, giving the Giants a 4-0 lead and causing Verlander to mouth the words, "Wow." Verlander's rough outing would continue in the fourth as Brandon Belt led the inning off with a walk and later scored on a single off the bat of Barry Zito as the Giants became the first team in postseason history to have their pitcher drive in a run in four consecutive games.
With Verlander's night coming to an early end after being roughed up for five earned runs on six hits and a walk through four innings, his shortest outing of the season, Sandoval's dominance at the plate would continue as he greeted Tigers reliever Al Alburquerque who came in for Verlander by hitting his third home run of the ballgame. With his trio of long balls, Sandoval became only the fourth player to ever hit three home runs in a World Series game, joining the likes of Babe Ruth who accomplished the feat twice, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols who did it in last year's World Series. Sandoval, however, was the only player to do it in his first three plate appearances. Sandoval would finish the game 4-for-4 by adding a single in the seventh. Detroit's only runs would come in the form of an RBI single from Miguel Cabrera off Zito in the sixth and a 2-run home run from Jhonny Peralta off George Kontos in the ninth. RBI singles from Scutaro and Buster Posey in the seventh would round up the scoring for the Giants who would go on to take game 1 by a final of 8-3.
Game 2: Bumgarner outduels Fister - With the Tigers allowing more runs in game 1 of the World Series than they allowed in the entire ALCS against the Yankees (six), they'd turn to pitcher Doug Fister in game 2, hoping to calm the Giants bats and avoid heading to Detroit down 0-2. And with the Tigers going up against Madison Bumgarner who entered Thursday's game having struggled of late with an ERA north of 11.00, many expected Detroit to bounce back and even the series. Bumgarner, however, would have other plans, challenging Fister to a duel. Fister who entered the game with an ERA under 2.00 this postseason, would pitch as good as advertised, but would be outdone on this night.
Shutout only twice during the regular season, a league-low, Bumgarner would stifle the Tigers lineup by allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 over seven stellar frames, proving too much for Jim Leyland's ball club. Detroit's only chance to plate a run came in the second inning when Prince Fielder was hit by a pitch and tried scoring from first on a Delmon Young double to left field. Gregor Blanco fielded the ball and luckily overthrew the cutoff man Brandon Crawford, hitting Marco Scutaro who made the catch and rifled a strike to Buster Posey who tagged the sliding Fielder just in time before touching home. Fister would overcome a scary moment in the second inning when taking a line drive off the side of his head that Blanco reached to first on for a single. Fister would prove to be fine, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters he faced.
With the game still scoreless heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, the Giants would get their first chance at a big inning after Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt and Gregor Blanco all reached base with a single, a walk and a bunt. With Brandon Crawford stepping to the plate, Tigers reliever Drew Smyly limited the damage by getting the Giants shortstop to ground into a double-play as a run came in to score. The Giants would execute a bit of small ball to plate another run in the eight inning as Angel Pagan, Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey all drew walks, setting up Hunter Pence who hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give his team a 2-0 lead heading to the ninth inning. A shutout eight inning from Giants reliever Santiago Casilla would setup the bearded Sergio Romo who slammed the door on any chance of a Tigers rally by hurling a 1-2-3 ninth inning, sealing the 2-0 victory and giving the Giants their fifth straight postseason win, a franchise-record in which they've only allowed a total of 4-runs.
Unfortunately for the Tigers who hope a trip to Detroit will help summon their offense, 41 of the 52 teams who've taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series have gone on to win it all. But to their credit, the Tigers are yet to lose at home this postseason, where they currently boast a 4-0 record. The Giants, however, are the perfect team to put an end to that streak as they've proven during this postseason that they're even better when playing on the road. The only difference being they'll have to emulate their play under American League rules, using a designated-hitter which Giants skipper Bruce Bochy will most likely hand the reigns to backup catcher Hector Sanchez. And similar to game 2, game 3 could very well be another low-scoring affair not only because of who will be on the mound for each team, but because the weather forecast is expected to be in the low 40's. While the Giants hope to ride the arm of Ryan Vogelsong who's been arguably their best pitcher this postseason, the Tigers will look to mid-season acquisition Anibal Sanchez who in the past has been tough on the Giants during his days with the Marlins. And though I expect Detroit to have much better luck at home than they did on the road, I'm sticking with my prediction of the Giants winning it all in six games.
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Two years removed from winning their first World Series title in 56 years and a year removed from failing to make it to the postseason, the San Francisco Giants are heading back to the Fall Classic after one of the more improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Last night's Game 7 victory over the defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals only added to what the Giants have done all postseason long -- winning with their backs against the wall. After becoming the first team to ever overcome a 2 games to 0 deficit and win three straight games on the road in the new Division Series playoff format against the Cincinnati Reds, the Giants continued their postseason magic.
Down 3 games to 1 in a pivotal game 5 at St. Louis' Busch Stadium, the unlikeliest hero Barry Zito hurled a superb 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball to keep the Giants alive and send the series back to San Francisco for game 6. With a win the following night, the Giants set up a winner-take-all game 7 in which they had all the momentum coming in. History, however, would be on the Cardinals side. While St. Louis entered Monday's meeting winners of 11 elimination game 7's, good enough for the most all-time, the Giants on the other hand came in owning a league worst record of 0-5 all-time in game 7's. But like the saying goes, there's a first for everything. The San Francisco offense would prove just that by scoring runs in each of the first two innings before chasing Cardinals ace Kyle Lohse after only 2 frames in which he was tagged for 5 runs. By the end of the third inning the Giants were up 7 to 0 and never looked back. At San Francisco's AT&T Park, facing All-Star pitcher Matt Cain with a 7-run deficit, St. Louis had no chance to work the magic we've grown accustomed to seeing them pull off dating back to last year's World Series.
With the 9-0 victory, the Giants became only the third NL team to comeback from a 3 games to 1 deficit and go on to win the series and only the second team in MLB history to win six consecutive elimination games, tying the 1985 Kansas City Royals who won the World Series that year. Giants second baseman Marco Sctuaro would make some history of his own by being named NLCS MVP after batting .500 (14-for-28) in the series, setting an LCS record with 6 multi-hit games and becoming one of only two players to follow up a 20-game hit streak during the regular season with a 10-game hit streak during the postseason in the same year (Mike Piazza being the other in 2002 with the Mets). What's most baffling about the Giants' epic NLCS comeback is that Buster Posey was virtually a non-factor at the plate. That'll have to change, however, if the Giants plan to win their second Championship in three years as they set their sights on the Jim Leyland led Detroit Tigers who are coming off an impressive sweep of the New York Yankees and are seeking their first World Series title since 1984.
Just like they were in 2010 when they upset the Texas Rangers, the Giants will once again be the underdogs facing an offensive juggernaut this time in the form of the Detroit Tigers' lethal duo of this year's triple crown winner -- Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Not to be forgotten is ALCS MVP Delmon Young who always seems to come through at the plate during the postseason. Facing one of the games premiere pitchers in Cliff Lee who San Francisco beat not once, but twice in the 2010 Fall Classic, Giants hitters will face another tall order and be given the daunting task of having to go up against last year's Cy Young Award winner and reigning MVP Justin Verlander who plans to avenge his World Series defeat in 2006, entering the series a perfect 3-0 this postseason with 25 K's and an ERA of 0.74. Giants manager Bruce Bochy hopes to counter by naming Barry Zito the starter for the Giants in game 1. Equally as good as Verlander has been is Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer who posted a combined ERA of 0.66 in the ALCS. But unlike the struggling Yankees who simply failed to show up at the plate, the Giants' scrappy bats won't make it easy on Detroit's stellar rotation.
How they match up: Though the Tigers benefit from a starting rotation that has dominated this postseason where as San Francisco has been inconsistent prior to Zito's gem in game 5 of the NLCS, their bullpen lacks the depth that the Giants possess. Giants manager Bruce Bochy owns the better team defensively, but Detroit's ability to hit the long ball takes the cake. Along with two of the best managers in the game today, these two teams facing off also means the two MVP front-runners of their respective leagues will be showcased in a series that I'm expecting will go no less than six games with the Giants prevailing. And while the previous three teams that have come off a seven-game LCS have went on to win the World Series when facing a club coming off a sweep, the Giants have to like their chances of making it four consecutive.
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Just four days after Minnesota's Francisco Liriano etched his name into the record books by throwing a no-hitter, Tigers ace Justin Verlander joined him by tossing the second no-no of his career and seventh in Tigers franchise history.
On the road in Toronto while facing the Blue Jays, Verlander who normally baffles his victims via the strikeout, having led the American League in K's in 2009, instead managed to get the opposition out by way of the ground and fly ball variety. And though he didn't amass an impressive strikeout total like he did in 2007 when compiling 12 K's in his first no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers, the four punch outs which also matched a season-low, enabled him to coast through innings with a relatively low pitch-count heading into the latter innings of the ballgame. Verlander did have his strikeout stuff though as his fastball reached speeds up to 101 MPH as late as the 7th inning.His only flaw would come with one out in the 8th inning when he walked Jays rookie catcher J.P. Arencebia in a 12-pitch at-bat that ended in a ball just millimeters off the plate. Had it not been for the walk, Verlander would've had a perfecto as no other Blue Jay reached base. However, the former AL Rookie of the Year did face the minimum 27 batters as Toronto third baseman Edwin Encarnacion followed Arencebia's walk by hitting into an inning-ending double play. Verlander's masterful performance was capped off by striking out Rajai Davis swinging en route to a 9-0 victory. The 28 year old hurler was treated to a Gatorade shower after his teammates rushed the mound to congratulate him on his magnificent feat.
With a second no-hitter on his resume, Verlander became just the seventh pitcher since 1954 to toss a no-no while facing the minimum (27 batters) and only the 28th player in modern Major League history to record multiple no-hitter's. Even after joining the short list of pitchers with more than one no-hitter, Verlander has his sights on an even greater achievement and says he's aiming for 7 no-no's, a territory only one man has been able to reach -- the legendary Nolan Ryan.Preparing for his voyage, the Tigers righty will have the odds against him as only five pitchers have thrown more than two no-hitters. But as a proud Fantasy owner of Verlander, I'll be wishing him luck and cheering him on every inch of the way.
