It might be called the “Fall Classic,” but this year’s World Series opener, between the San Francisco Giants, who haven’t won a championship since before moving to the city and the Texas Rangers, playing in their first Series, was anything but conventional.
Freddy Sanchez celebrates with teammates Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff
In front of a raucous home crowd, the Giants came back from an early 2-0 deficit to take game one, 11-7.
It was expected to be a pitchers’ duel, between two-time N.L. Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee, who was 7-0 all-time in the postseason, with the Rangers’ superior bats scoring a win for Texas. Instead, the teams combined for 25 hits, including ten doubles, and the Giants teed off against Lee, knocking the ace out of the game in the fifth.
It was Lincecum who struggled to find a rhythm early, giving up a leadoff base hit, followed by a walk and, two batters later, a base hit
off his leg to put the Rangers up, 1-0. The damage could’ve been much worse, after Texas’ Nelson Cruz hit a grounder for a fielder’s choice to Lincecum – and Lincecum inexplicably ran Mike Young back to third, rather than throwing to third for the out.
Lee looked dominant in his first inning on the mound, and he made an impact at the plate in the top of the second, doubling to center to put Bengie Molina in scoring position before Elvis Andrus’ sac fly.
It didn’t take long for the Rangers to lose their grasp on their slim 2-0 lead. The normally-precise Lee hit Andres Torres, then gave up an RBI double to Freddy Sanchez, his first of three consecutive doubles, to make it a 2-1 game. Rookie Buster Posey got his first World Series base hit, driving Torres in to even the score at 2-2.
In the third, Lincecum started to hit his stride, retiring the side in the top of the third and giving up a harmless double to the Rangers’ Mitch Moreland in the fourth.
With the enthusiastic crowd and Lincecum’s fast pace, it felt like the Giants had already claimed the lead. Lincecum led off the fifth inning for the Giants with a ground out, before his teammates unleashed a barrage of big hits that would put them on top and force Lee to the bench. Torres doubled to left, then Sanchez hit his third double in a row to put the Giants up, 3-2, becoming the first player to hit three consecutive doubles in his first three World Series at-bats.
Lee was clearly off his game, striking out Posey but walking Pat Burrell and giving up back-to-back RBI singles to Cody Ross and Aubrey Huff before taking a seat with the Rangers down, 5-2. Relief pitcher Darren O’Day didn’t offer much relief, surrendering a three-run home run to Juan Uribe to break the game wide open and give the Giants a seemingly insurmountable 8-2 lead.
But the game wasn’t over yet. The Rangers tried to battle back, as Ian Kinsler reached first on a walk and scored on a Bengie Molina double. Moreland, who doubled off Lincecum in the fourth, singled off Lincecum’s leg to advance the runner. Pinch hitter David Murphy notched an RBI single, narrowing the score to 8-4 and ending Lincecum’s night.
Still within range, the Rangers self-destructed. Kinsler had a base hit in the eighth but mistakenly thinking the ball was overthrown, he rounded first and was tagged out. The meltdown carried over to defense as well, as right-fielder Vladimir Guerrero bobbled and misplayed two different base hits, helping the Giants add three more runs.
Despite their own sloppy play (the teams combined for six errors on the night), the Giants managed to hold off a ninth inning Rangers rally. The bases were loaded with one out after an infield single, an error, and two walks when San Francisco brought out their colorful, charismatic closer Brian Wilson.
With two outs, Wilson gave up a long double to Nelson Cruz that scored three runs, pulling the Rangers to within three runs, but he got Kinsler to pop out to end the game.
On a night that turned all the story lines – dominant pitching from both sides and Texas’ overpowering bats – upside down, the Giants gave themselves a jumpstart toward what would be their first World Series title in 56 years.
