Giants Sweep Tigers

The Giants waited 52 years to bring their first World Series title to San Francisco after abandoning their home in the Polo Grounds prior to the 1958 season.

The city didn't have to wait too long for their second.

In the ALCS it was the Detroit Tigers who knocked off the New York Yankees in four games. The script flipped in the Fall Classic, when the Giants took four straight from the Tigers and captured their second World Series title in three years. After coming within one loss of elimination in the NLCS, the Giants returned from the brink and didn't lose again.

On paper, the matchup between the looked intriguing and seemingly had the potential to produce an exciting six or seven game series. It never materialized. Game 1 was a good old-fashioned spanking in which the Giants battered Justin Verlander and Series MVP Pablo Sandoval tied a Series record by cranking out three homers. The next two games were tightly contested pitching duels that the Giants won, 2-0. The fourth and decisive game was a hard-fought extra-inning thriller in which the Tigers made their last stand, but ultimately fell short.

Neither Matt Cain nor Max Scherzer brought his best stuff last night, but both lasted deep into the game before turning it over to the bullpens. Once that happened, it was only a matter of time before San Francisco and its superior relief corps prevailed.

The Giants drew first blood in the top of the second when Hunter Pence knocked a ground-rule double over the fence and Brandon Belt drove him home with an RBI triple.The following inning, Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera gave the Tigers their first and only lead of the series by poking a two-run homer into the first row of the right field bleachers, thus snapping San Fran's string of 56 consecutive innings without falling behind.

The Tigers lead lasted until the top of the sixth, when likely NL MVP Buster Posey swatted a two-run shot of his own that just managed to stay fair and put San Francisco back on top. The lead was short-lived, though, for ALCS MVP Delmon Young responded wit a solo jack in the bottom of the frame to even the score at three-all.

The game stayed that way into the tenth, when NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro ripped an RBI single up the middle off Phil Coke to plate Ryan Theriot. Sergio Romo entered the game and proceeded to strike out the side by fanning Austin Jackson, pinch-hitter Don Kelly and Cabrera, who took a pitch right down the middle for a called third strike that sealed Detroit's fate.

The Tigers bats suffered from the six day layoff between the ALCS and World Series, and thus went cold at the worst possible time.  Their offense batted a measly .159 with just five extra base hits and six runs scored in the Fall Classic. Prince Fielder went AWOL. Jhonny Peralta was nowhere to be found. But when the chips were down, at least Jim Leyland didn't freak out and pull a Joe Girardi. He didn't frantically reshuffle the lineup in an attempt to stir his slumbering sluggers. He stuck with his guys til the end and went down with his best, whereas Girardi's ship sank with the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson watching from the dugout.

It's too bad, really, because aside from Verlander, Detroit's starting pitching was excellent. Anibal Sanchez, Doug Fister and Scherzer turned in quality starts and pitched well enough for their teams to win. They simply didn't get any run support, and the bullpen didn't do them any favors either.

As far as next year goes, the Tigers front office should focus on adding depth to a top-heavy team. I would let Young walk this offseason (Victor Martinez's return will more than make up for his departure on offense) and pursue a few relievers to bolster their 'pen. Another bat would be nice, too. But even if they decide to sit tight and lick their wounds, they're still the overwhelming favorites to win the AL Central for the third straight year.

As for the Giants? They will look to become the first team to win three World Series titles this millennium. Their outstanding starting pitching always makes them a threat.  Mixed with plus defense, solid hitting and a great bullpen, the Giants have created a recipe for success that makes them perennial contenders. They should let Scutaro leave given his age (37), but will probably re-sign him along with Angel Pagan. A full season from Pence will help, but they also need to find a way to replace Melky Cabrera, who was their first half MVP.

I wouldn't bet on them repeating as champions in 2013. But then again, I wouldn't have bet on them winning it all as recently as two weeks ago.

Sandoval, Giants Blast Tigers

The San Francisco Giants started the 2012 Fall Classic on the right foot by routing the Detroit Tigers 8-3 in Game 1 last night. In the first World Series meeting between these two clubs, San Francisco scored early and often, putting runs on the board in five of the first seven innings and scoring eight times in all.

The anticipated pitching duel between two former Cy Young winners never materialized. Justin Verlander had been untouchable in his three postseason starts (all wins) prior to this one, allowing just two runs and ten hits in 24.1 innings while fanning 25. But that dominant hurler was nowhere to be found last evening. The reigning AL MVP labored, needing 98 pitches to get through four innings in which he allowed six hits and five earned runs. Detroit's shaky bullpen failed to stop the bleeding, allowing San Francisco to put the game out of reach when the Giants tacked on three insurance runs in the middle innings.

That proved to be more than enough run support for Barry Zito, making the first World Series start of his 13 year career, as the southpaw outpitched the best pitcher on the planet.You don't need me to tell you that the 2002 AL Cy Young winner has been a massive bust since inking a seven year contract worth $126 million with San Francisco. He became so ineffective that he was left off the postseason roster in 2010, when the Giants won their first World Series since 1954. But he's enjoyed something of a renaissance this year by winning 15 games during the regular season and shutting down the Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLCS. He wasn't quite as sharp last night but managed to hold Detroit to one run over 5.2 innings before giving way to Tim Lincecum. Perhaps Zito isn't beyond redemption after all. Maybe one month can make up for six disappointing seasons.

The star of the night was Pablo Sandoval, who went 4-for-4 and crushed three home runs to pace San Francisco's offensive assault. Kung Fu Panda went yard in his first three at-bats to join Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols (who did it last year) as the only players in baseball history to slug three dingers in a World Series game. The switch-hitting third baseman added a single in the seventh inning to round out his historic performance at the dish, even if his base knock disappointed a raucous home crowd hoping for another long ball. Over the past two weeks Sandoval has done his best Carlos Beltran impression by batting a scorching .439/.455/.951 with six home runs, three doubles, and 13 RBI. It goes without saying that if he sustains that level of production for a few more games, he'll be an easy choice for World Series MVP.

Detroit fell behind early, but missed a prime scoring opportunity in the top of the first. Austin Jackson flew out to kick off the series, but Omar Infante singled and Miguel Cabrera walked to set up a potential big inning. Neither Prince Fielder nor ALCS MVP Delmon Young delivered, and Zito escaped the jam unscathed. The Tigers finally broke through against Zito in the sixth inning, when Cabrera's RBI single plated Jackson. But then Big Time Timmy Jim Lincecum came in out of the 'pen and proceeded to silence Detroit's bats. The two-time NL Cy Young winner recorded seven consecutive outs, five of which came via the strikeout, as the bridge to the ninth inning. Jose Mijares,  George Kontos and Jeremy Affeldt each recorded one out to close the game, but not before Jhonny Peralta made some noise by belting a two-run homer off Kontos.

Unfortunately for Detroit, it was too little, too late. Tonight they try to even the series by sending Doug Fister to the hill against Madison Bumgarner.