Freddy Sanchez went 4-for-5 with four doubles and three RBI and
Juan Uribe belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth
inning as the San Francisco Giants jumped all over the Texas
Rangers 11-7 in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night.
SAN FRANCISCO
Freddy Sanchez went 4-for-5 with four doubles and three RBI and Juan Uribe belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning as the San Francisco Giants jumped all over the Texas Rangers 11-7 in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night.
The Giants led 11-4 heading into the top of the ninth, but the Rangers pushed across three runs in the inning to add a little drama to the inevitable.
Giants’ starter Tim Lincecum survived a rocky first two innings, yielding a 2-0 Rangers’ advantage. However, the two-time Cy Young award winner settled down over the next 3.2 innings, leaving Game 1 as the pitcher of record with an 8-4 lead in the sixth. Lincecum fanned three Rangers, giving him 33 strikeouts in four postseason tilts.
San Francisco touched up Rangers’ ace Cliff Lee for seven runs in 4.2 innings.
Lee had been almost untouchable in three previous starts this postseason, holding a 0.95 earned run average and a 3-0 record.
Sanchez drove in Edgar Renteria in the third inning for the Giants’ first run of the ball game. Buster Posey followed two batters later and singled home Sanchez for the 2-2 tie.
With the game still knotted at 2-2 in the fifth, the Giants exploded for six runs, including Uribe’s mammoth shot deep into the left field bleachers.
Sanchez plated Andres Torres to begin the inning’s scoring festivities. Cody Ross, the NL Championship Series Most Valuable Player, singled up the middle to drive in Sanchez for a 4-2 Giants’ lead. Aubrey Huff knocked in Pat Burrell with another base hit to center chasing Lee from the game. Uribe rudely welcomed reliever Darren O’Day to the World Series with his blast.
The Giants scored three times in the bottom of the eighth – runs that proved to be useful.
Former Giants’ catcher Bengie Molina went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Rangers. Vladimir Guerrero and Nelson Cruz each had two hits and a pair of RBI as Texas scattered 11 hits in the game.
Matt Cain will take the hill for the Giants in Game 2 as they go for a commanding 2-0 series lead Thursday. C.J. Wilson gets the ball for the Rangers. First pitch is scheduled for 4:57 p.m.
