2012 World Series – SF Giants 2 – Detroit Tigers 0

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Pitching, Pitching, Pitching was the name of the game in Game 2 of the World Series. The recently maligned Madison Bumgarner came back into the rotation and didn’t miss a beat. Bumgarner had been labeled as having mechanical issues that he needed to ironed out before his game 2 start against the Tigers and iron them out he did. He ended with a line of 7 innings pitched, 2 hits allowed, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 0.57.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

I’m assuming that along with the mechanical tear down and build up during Bumgarner’s time off, the rest also helped as well. Bumgarner looked crisper than his other 2 outings this post season and was able to do a good job of keeping the Detroit hitters off balance by doing a good job of moving around in the strike zone and mixing his speeds. I can’t remember if Bumgarner topped 91 throughout the game velocity wise but it didn’t matter because of how he was mixing his pitches. Notably the Detroit offense has hit the wall in terms of being able to produce any sort of offensive output but much of that credit should go to the Giants starting pitching.

From my vantage point on the couch, the measured approach of the Detroit hitters has seemingly gone out the window and many times they look like they don’t have a plan of attack up at the plate save for Miguel Cabrera. Credit definitely needs to be given to both Posey and Bumgarner for switching up their pitch selections and making the Tigers seem befuddled and slow at the plate.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Although, Doug Fister, Detroit’s starting pitcher, did a great job of matching Bumgarner pitch for pitch even after getting a line drive off the side of his dome. It brought back memories of Brandon McCarthy’s brush with a line drive earlier in the regular season with the A’s. Even more notable was the fact that Fister didn’t even seem to flinch or have any ill effects after getting plunked by Blanco’s line drive single. Fister ended up loading the bases after the incident but still managed to work his way out of the inning by getting Madison Bumgarner to pop up to short.

Fister ended with a line of 6 innings pitched, 4 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. Pretty damn good after being hit in the head but not good enough to get the Tigers a much needed victory before heading off to Detroit for Game 3 on Saturday. The biggest play that cost the Tigers a much needed run was a double in the top of the 2nd inning by Delmon Young.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

(If you want to check out the entire play here’s a LINK)

It wasn’t so much the double that was important as much as it was the fact that Tigers Third base coach Gene Lamont sent Fielder, who was on first mind you, all the way home on the double. First off, it was only the second inning and if you hold Fielder up at 3rd you have runners on second and third with no outs. Secondly, how many times has a Third base coach cost teams valuable runs at home or at third by being overly aggressive early in the game? Mike Gallego I hope you’re ears are burning right now. Even after the game Jim Leyland said of Lamont’s decision to send Fielder,

 ”I think Gene just got a little overaggressive”

You think skip. Now even though it was an overly aggressive call by the third base coach, the Giants mad a hell of a relay throw to mow down Fielder by inches. Blanco played the carom off the wall beautifully and I’m not sure if he meant to over throw Crawford but luckily the throw was a strike to Scutaro. Scutaro then threw it right to Posey’s glove who applied the swipe tag to the back of Fielder’s foot just an inch before Fielder reached the plate. Question though, what happened to the scouting report on Posey where he’s not necessarily going to try and block the plate and why did Fielder slide so close to him if he knew that?

The Giants were able to scratch out 2 runs to win the game but only needed 1 realistically because their bullpen has been pretty much lights out. They were able to scratch across their first run in the bottom of the 7th off of reliever Drew Smyly. Smyly came in after a lead off single to Hunter Pence was given up by Fister and walked the first batter he faced Brandon Belt. Then with runners on first and second and no outs, Gregor Blanco proceeds to lay down the nastiest bunt this side of Janet Jackson.

(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

First off shout out to the Giants grounds crew because that was the first thing I thought of when the ball began to tip toe the grass and foul line before settling in fair territory. Brandon Crawford then came up and hit into a double play but that was able to push across the one run that the Giants needed to secure the victory. In the bottom of the 8th, the Giants were able to tack on an insurance run on a Hunter Pence sac fly but realistically 1 was all they needed.

Now the focus shifts to Detroit and whether or not they can comeback from an 0-2 deficit and if the Giants can go into Motown and  put this series away in 2 more games. Needless to say, Giants fans are salivating at the possibility of another World Series championship in the last 3 years. Let’s see if they can finish this on the road with all the momentum on their side and not let Detroit get back up after dealing them 2 knockout blows in San Francisco.