Game two World Series recap

By Kshell

Yesterday baseball proved to us just how strange the game can be. In a pitching matchup that featured Tim Linecum vs Cliff Lee nobody expected 18 runs to be scored. The San Francisco Giants scored just 20 runs in six games against the Phillies in the NLCS yet erupt on a pitcher who had a career playoff ERA of 1.26. Cliff Lee can shut down the Yankees the last two years, the Rays twice but couldn't even last five innings against the weak hitting Giants in a National League ball park which is a pitchers ball park.

That is why we tune in for baseball games because it truly is unpredictable from a game to game basis. The Rangers were hoping to rebound today with C.J.Wilson as in baseball momentum is all about the next days starting pitcher. The Rangers can't afford to go down 0-2 with throwing their two best lefty pitchers. While the Giants sent to the mound a pitcher in Matt Cain who has yet to allow an earned run this postseason. Both pitchers were great, one was just amazing like he has been all postseason.

Cain continues scoreless streak as Giants shutout Rangers 9-0, up 2-0

The Giants took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Texas Rangers behind the pitching of Matt Cain. Matt Cain shut down the Rangers giving up zero runs and just four hits through 7 2/3 innings. Cain proved to be to much for the Rangers mighty bats and then with two outs the Giants erupted in the eighth inning off the Rangers bullpen who has had issues with getting that third and final out.

The Giants in a pitchers duel got on the board first when Edgar Renteria who won a World Series way back in 1997 with the Florida Marlins hit a homerun to deep left field down the line to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. With the way Cain was pitching that was all that was needed. Tim Lincecum gets all the publicity for the Giants and he deserves it but fans forget about Matt Cain. Cain doesn't get the big win totals as his bullpen either blows wins for him or the offense doesn't score enough.

The Giants would scratch out another run in the seventh. After Ross reached base, C.J.Wilson had to leave the game with a blister. Then game six of the NLCS and game one of the World Series hero Juan Uribe ripped a base hit up the middle off Rangers reliever Darren Oliver to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. C.J. Wilson day was done he kept his team in the game allowing only three hits and two runs through six innings.

The Giants would explode in the eighth for the second straight game with two outs. The inning began nicely for Rangers reliever Darren O'Day who struck out the first two Giant batters recovering nicely from his outing the day before when he allowed a three run homerun to Uribe. Buster Posey would begin the rally with just a meaningless two out base hit. Washington would pull O'Day and bring in lefty Derek Holland who was great against the Yankees. Holland would walk the first two batters he faced in just eight pitches. Despite the walks there was no mound visits or even a pitching change. Holland would then walk the bases loaded when he walked Aubrey Huff giving the Giants a 3-0 lead. Holland threw 13 pitches and 12 of them were for balls. Washington would pull him for former Mariners pitcher Mark Lowe who had a rough outing the day before.

The wildness of the Rangers bullpen continued as Lowe walked Uribe allowing another run to score giving the Giants a 4-0 lead. Renteria who homered earlier in the game got a base hit scoring Cody Ross and Aubrey Huff putting the game away at 6-0. The Giants weren't done yet as Aaron Rowand hit a two run triple in the gap off of Rangers new reliever Michael Kirkman giving the Giants an 8-0 lead. Andres Torres would cap the rally with a double scoring Rowand. When it was all said and done the Giants scored seven runs on four hits, and four walks in that eighth inning that saw four different Rangers pitchers allow a run.

The Giants would finish off the mighty Rangers shutting them out 9-0 in game two. In what was a close game turned out to be a blowout in the eighth inning. The Giants scored just 20 runs in six games in the NLCS have now scored 19 runs against the Rangers in the first two games. The Giants will head on the road up 2-0 knowing at the very worse they'll return home in game six.

When the series shifts to Texas the Rangers hope to regain some offense. The Rangers after winning their first five postseason games have now lost three in a row on the road. The Rangers have to hope a change of scenary will turn these games into American League like slugfest. I still believe the Giants can't out hit the Rangers but they certainly have the pitching. The pitching carried the Giants in September and in this postseason has carried them so far already pitching three shutouts.

At the end of the day nobody espected the Rangers who were throwing Cliff Lee and C.J.Wilson to return home down 0-2. I hope the Rangers can make this a series and I suspect they will. The Giants will be throwing Jonathan Sanchez who was shaky in both starts against Philadelphia after pitching terrific in game three of the NLDS against the Braves. The Rangers will hand the ball over to ALCS hero Colby Lewis who shut down the Yankees twice. The Rangers return home for three games hoping to grab momentum back. While the Giants simply hope to just win one game in Texas, two is simply a bonus. Should be fun to see what franchise ends over 50 years without a championship.