Giants Have Huge 7-Run 8th, Blank Texas
The San Francisco Giants blanked the Texas Rangers 9-0 in game 2 of the World Series.
The Rangers' Darren O'Day struck out two and gave up a hit in the eighth inning. He was relieved by Derek Holland who gave up three walks in a row. Then Mark Lowe gave up a walk. Then a hit. And there were runs scored…and hits…and more hits…and….
It was an incredibly unfortunate eighth inning for the Rangers. The Giants and they're fans looked like they were having the time of their lives. The seven runs the Giants scored in the eighth is their biggest postseason inning ever.
Guillermo Mota issued one walk for the Giants in the ninth inning, but otherwise the Giants ended the game with solid defense in the final frame. The Rangers' Jeff Francoeur flew out to right fielder Nate Schierholtz to cap a San Francisco blowout.
2010 World Series
Blog: Report from the Bleachers
World Series Experience: Priceless; Parking: $90
Matt Cain zeroed in for six innings, Edgar Renteria reprised his role as a postseason star and the San Francisco Giants led the Texas Rangers 1-0 in Game 2 of the World Series on a windy Thursday night.
A day after the Giants battered Texas 11-7 in the opener, Cain and Texas starter C.J. Wilson ruled.
Renteria provided the only run with a drive into the left-field seats with one out in the fifth inning. The eighth-place hitter had gone 53 straight at-bats overall without a home run and had not connected at AT&T Park since July 27.
Renteria is no stranger to October heroics. In 1997, his two-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning in Game 7 of the World Series lifted Florida over Cleveland. In 2004, he made the final out for St. Louis as Boston finished off a World Series sweep.
Cain came into the game with a 0.00 ERA in two playoff starts, and extended his postseason streak to 19 2-3 innings without allowing an earned run. He faced a Texas lineup minus Vladimir Guerrero, pulled after making two errors in Game 1.
Cain allowed four hits, including a double by Ian Kinsler that landed on the very top of the padded wall in center field and popped back into play. Kinsler was stranded at second in the fifth inning.
The Rangers threatened again in the sixth when Michael Young and Josh Hamilton each singled with one out - the first hits of the Series for both stars - and moved up on a wild pitch. But Cain retired slugger Nelson Cruz on a foul pop and got Kinsler on a routine fly, prompting him to toss his batting helmet.
Wilson was mostly equal to the challenge. The Texas lefty worked around a one-out double by Cody Ross in the second - the latest hit by the surprise MVP of the NL championship series - and a ground single by Cain in the third.
Cain's single came shortly after Wilson put down a sacrifice bunt. A Series surprise, for sure, that the pitchers were handling the bat better than the regular hitters. Some of the hitters had a few quizzical looks, too, for Sam Holbrook after close pitches - the umpire was working home plate for the first time in a World Series.
Dealing with fly balls and popups was problematic. A steady breeze caused the screen attached to the left-field foul pole to sway, and the flags around AT&T Park flapped. A possibility of showers was in the forecast.
Texas regularly has trouble in this park anyhow. The Rangers are 0-10 overall at the waterfront stadium.
Game 3 is Saturday night, when the World Series visits the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the first time. Colby Lewis, who closed out the Yankees in the AL championship series, starts for Texas against Jonathan Sanchez.
Texas manager Ron Washington made two lineup changes, pulling Guerrero and catcher Bengie Molina and instead starting David Murphy and Matt Treanor.
Washington insisted Guerrero's two mistakes in right field in Game 1 didn't cost him a spot. Once an athletic defender with a rocket arm, Guerrero is now 35 and slowed by creaky knees. Forced into the outfield because there's no designated hitter in the NL park, Guerrero turned most every ball his way into an adventure.
Cruz returned to his regular spot in right for Texas and Murphy played left. Cruz easily handled a fly ball by Buster Posey to end the Giants first.