Matt Cain allowed four hits over a stellar 7.2 innings and a
night after the San Francisco Giants exploded for 11 runs in Game
1, the bats erupted again Thursday night in Game 2 of the World
Series.
SAN FRANCISCO
Matt Cain allowed four hits over a stellar 7.2 innings and a night after the San Francisco Giants exploded for 11 runs in Game 1, the bats erupted again Thursday night in Game 2 of the World Series.
The Giants scrapped their way to a 9-0 victory over the Rangers, taking a two-games-to-none series advantage heading into Saturday’s Game 3 in Texas.
The Giants, who had averaged a mere three runs in the first two rounds of the postseason (30 runs in 10 games), have now hammered out 20 runs in the first two games of the World Series.
Ahead 2-0 entering the eighth, the Giants let loose on the Rangers’ bullpen and a seven-run inning blew open an otherwise tight ball game.
San Francisco scored on two straight bases-loaded walks before Edgar Renteria, who homered in the bottom of the fifth for the Giants’ first run, delivered a two-RBI base hit for a 6-0 lead.
Pinch hitter Aaron Rowand smoked a triple to the gap in left-center field, plating two more Giants. The onslaught continued with a RBI-hit by Andres Torres.
A stunned Texas team went down without much of a fight in the top of the ninth.
Early on, Game 2 featured the pitching duel everyone had expected in Game 1.
Rangers’ starter, C.J. Wilson had his way with the Giants through four innings.
But after Renteria’s blast into the San Francisco night sky in the bottom of the fifth inning, Wilson gave way to the bullpen.
Juan Uribe singled in Cody Ross in the bottom of the seventh for the Giants slim-at-the-moment 2-0 cushion.
Cain was masterful in his World Series debut, striking out two Rangers, but more important yielding only two walks. Cain worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth inning, getting Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler to pop out, stranding runners on second and third to preserve the slim 1-0 lead.
The Rangers left five runners on base, including leaving a runner at third base in the top of the eighth.
Giants’ reliever Javier Lopez induced a harmless fly ball by Rangers’ slugger Josh Hamilton to end the threat.
