San Francisco dominates again behind a dominant start from Matt Cain to take a 2-0 World Series lead. Edgar Renterria (above, far right) had a solo home run and three RBI to lead the Giants. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)One of these two teams looks like they don't belong here through two games of the World Series.
The San Francisco Giants have left no question as to who the better team is so far as the Texas Rangers look like they are shaken by the bright lights of the World Series. The Giants have won the first two games by a combined 20-7 as the series moves to Arlington Saturday night, but Rangers' manager Ron Washington insists his team isn't fazed after being blown out to start the series.
"We certainly don't feel like we're defeated. We're heading home. They took care of us in their ballpark; now we're headed to ours," Washington said.
Game two was all about Matt Cain, who is sitting on a 0.00 ERA through three starts this postseason. Cain shut down the Rangers for 7 2-3 innings, scattering four hits against the potent Texas lineup.
"We've put ourselves in a good situation," said Cain, who hasn't allowed an earned run in the postseason. "We've just got to take that confidence and some of the good approaches that we've had into these last two games and take them down to Texas with us."
Texas nearly had a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, but an Ian Kinsler deep drive bounced off the top of the wall in center field - just inches away from changing the ballgame. Kinsler would cruise to second on the play for a double (the Rangers only extra-base hit of the night), but was stranded after a line out and a couple of ground outs ended the inning. Texas finished 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
"A lot of times they do bounce out," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But we got a break there."
On the mound for Texas, C.J. Wilson lasted into the seventh inning, but a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand took him out of the game. Wilson had allowed only one run on three hits before being pulled, but walked a batter to start the inning after shaking off Molina over and over again as he was calling for fastballs, and that sealed his fate.
"This blister is something he's been dealing with all year," Washington said. "He'll put some glue on it and do whatever he has to do to close it up."
Wilson was charged with another run after Darren Oliver allowed Giants' third baseman Juan Uribe to hit an RBI single to the gap in right-center, and that was just the start of the bullpen woes for the Rangers.
The bottom of the eighth inning saw Rangers' reliever Darren O'Day strike out the first two batters he faced swinging. O'Day allowed a single to the next batter he faced so Washington decided to pull the lefty in favor of right-hander Derek Holland. Holland responded by walking the first three batters he faced on 13 pitches (11 consecutive balls at one point), loading the bases and walking in a run. Mark Lowe followed Holland and walked another batter, tacking on another run, and the Giants took a 4-0 lead.
"You take all the runs you can get," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
When the dust was settled, three Rangers' relievers combined to allow six runs on four walks and three hits with two outs in the inning. Hey, at least O'Day and Michael Kirkman combined to strike out the side.
While many fans on both sides are overreacting like crazy, let me be clear here: this series is not over.
I know it looks bad and some fair-weather fans are jumping off the bandwagon, but Texas has made a habit of bouncing back and fighting their way out of tough situations all season long. The Rangers have not played their brand of baseball through the first two games of the series, but coming home for three games in front of a rowdy Rangers' crowd may be just what the doctor ordered to aid an ailing offense and shaken pitching staff.
Game three is Saturday night, with the first pitch scheduled for 5:57 p.m. central time. Colby Lewis will take the mound for the Rangers, while Jonathan Sanchez gets the nod for the Giants.
News and Notes:
- Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz, two Rangers who have feasted on opposing pitching in the playoffs coming into the World Series, are a combined 2 for 17 with no RBI.
- Being down 2-0 is not a good sign in the World Series. 13 of the past 14 and seven straight teams to go up 2-0 have gone on to win the World Series.
- San Fran has 20 runs over the first two games of this series. They had only 19 runs total in six games against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Texas has never won at AT&T Park (0-11).
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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