Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
Before this World Series began, the talk was about how the Giants play defense and pitch against a Ranger lineup that likes to swing the bats.
Through Saturday’s game San Francisco has outperformed Texas in that regard, but what has been the biggest factor after the first three games is the home field advantage.
By way of a 3-1 National League victory in this year’s All Star Game, San Francisco was awarded the privilege of hosting the first two games, four out of seven is necessary.
They took the advantage in Game 1 by chasing Rangers lefty ace Cliff Lee after just 4.2 innings and six earned runs eventually plating 11 runs in a game most expected to be low scoring. Surprisingly, the Giants bats continued to stay hot at home by blanking the Rangers 9-0 to take a two game advantage.
Giants ace Matt Cain continued to be dominant in the postseason with a gem in Game 2 but it was the offensive production that carried the Giants. The 20 runs they scored in the first two games of the series surpassed the total they scored in a six-game NLCS (19).
In their four total NLCS victories they only outscored the Phillies by six runs. In the division series against Atlanta they won three games by a combined total of three runs. Of the nine postseason victories the Giants have accumulated, six have been by one run, so it was refreshing for Giants fans to see some offensive explosion to take pressure off of a pitching staff that has been outstanding in October.
When the series shifted back to Texas, the Rangers continued their trend of controlling the pace of the game at home. For all of the praise that centerfielder Josh Hamilton has received this postseason, the best player for Texas in the 2010 postseason has been pitcher Colby Lewis. In four postseason starts he is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA, only surrendering five earned runs.
What means the most is that his victories have been vital for his ball club. In the ALCS he tied the series for Texas with a Game 2 victory, and then went on to pitch eight strong innings of 1-run ball in a series-clinching Game 6 win. Saturday he was masterful again with 7.2 innings, giving up only two earned runs in a Game 3 win. His next start in this series will be late, most likely in Game 6 and he will once again have the chance to grab a crucial victory for his team.
If that happens, the man who spent the last two years playing pro baseball in Japan will be remembered forever in postseason lore.
After three games the Giants hold the advantage with a 2-1 lead. The series has been the opposite of what it was anticipated to be. San Francisco won two games by putting up a lot of runs and Texas won theirs with stellar pitching. The constant has been how both teams have played much better at home than on the road, a formula that makes for a long series.
This year’s fall classic, while it may lack a sexy team, has plenty of drama and excitement. The two teams match up well against one another, and their abilities to defend their turf to this point means it will be a lengthy campaign.
Bangor Daily News