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October 25. 2012 11:52PM
Giants blank Tigers to take 2-0 Series lead
SAN FRANCISCO -- Madison Bumgarner combined with two relievers on a two-hit shutout while Hunter Pence scored the game's first run and drove in another as host San Francisco topped Detroit, 2-0, to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series.
Bumgarner (1-0) rebounded from a pair of ineffective postseason starts, allowing just two hits and walking two while striking out eight over seven innings. The left-hander had not pitched since yielding six runs over 3 2/3 frames in the National League Championship Series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 14.
Pence opened the seventh with a single, ending the night for Detroit starter Doug Fister (0-1). Rookie Drew Smyly came on and walked Brandon Belt before Blanco's bunt down the third base line remained fair after appearing to be heading foul, loading the bases.
Brandon Crawford followed with a grounder to Omar Infante that plated Pence as the Tigers second baseman was playing at normal depth and had no choice but to go for the double play. Pence added insurance an inning later, lifting a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded off Octavio Dotel to score Angel Pagan for a 2-0 lead.
Santiago Casilla worked a perfect eighth inning and Sergio Romo set down the Tigers in order in the ninth for his second save of the postseason.
Fister, who survived a scare in the second inning as he was struck in the head by a line drive, allowed one run and four hits in six-plus frames. The right-hander, who tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees in the opener of the ALCS on Oct. 13, walked one and struck out three.
Prior to the bottom of the seventh, neither team threatened after the second as Fister and Bumgarner were superb. Fister had retired 12 straight batters before Pablo Sandoval's two-out single in the sixth, while Bumgarner allowed just three of the final 18 Tigers he faced to reach base.
Detroit was poised to get on the board in the second as Delmon Young ripped a double to left field after Prince Fielder drew a leadoff walk. But Fielder unsuccessfully attempted to score all the way from first base, and Young was stranded at second as Bumgarner induced a popout by Jhonny Peralta before striking out rookie Avisail Garcia.
Buster Posey led off the bottom of the frame with a base hit and advanced to second when Blanco's line drive caromed off the head of Fister and into shallow center. After being attended to by manager Jim Leyland and pitching coach Jeff Jones, Fister remained in the game and walked Crawford to load the bases before retiring Bumgarner.
Infante recorded Detroit's only other hit, a leadoff infield single in the fourth, but was caught stealing to end the inning.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Bumgarner became the first Giant with consecutive scoreless outings of at least seven innings in the World Series since Christy Mathewson produced three straight in 1905. Bumgarner tossed eight scoreless frames in Game Four of the 2010 World Series against Texas. ... Bumgarner joined Mathewson (1905) and Carl Hubbell (1933) as the only Giants to begin a World Series game with consecutive strikeouts. ... Giants 2B Marco Scutaro went 0-for-4, ending his 11-game postseason hitting streak. ... Actor Matthew Morrison of the hit FOX show "Glee" sang the national anthem.
Bumgarner (1-0) rebounded from a pair of ineffective postseason starts, allowing just two hits and walking two while striking out eight over seven innings. The left-hander had not pitched since yielding six runs over 3 2/3 frames in the National League Championship Series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 14.
Pence opened the seventh with a single, ending the night for Detroit starter Doug Fister (0-1). Rookie Drew Smyly came on and walked Brandon Belt before Blanco's bunt down the third base line remained fair after appearing to be heading foul, loading the bases.
Brandon Crawford followed with a grounder to Omar Infante that plated Pence as the Tigers second baseman was playing at normal depth and had no choice but to go for the double play. Pence added insurance an inning later, lifting a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded off Octavio Dotel to score Angel Pagan for a 2-0 lead.
Santiago Casilla worked a perfect eighth inning and Sergio Romo set down the Tigers in order in the ninth for his second save of the postseason.
Fister, who survived a scare in the second inning as he was struck in the head by a line drive, allowed one run and four hits in six-plus frames. The right-hander, who tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees in the opener of the ALCS on Oct. 13, walked one and struck out three.
Prior to the bottom of the seventh, neither team threatened after the second as Fister and Bumgarner were superb. Fister had retired 12 straight batters before Pablo Sandoval's two-out single in the sixth, while Bumgarner allowed just three of the final 18 Tigers he faced to reach base.
Detroit was poised to get on the board in the second as Delmon Young ripped a double to left field after Prince Fielder drew a leadoff walk. But Fielder unsuccessfully attempted to score all the way from first base, and Young was stranded at second as Bumgarner induced a popout by Jhonny Peralta before striking out rookie Avisail Garcia.
Buster Posey led off the bottom of the frame with a base hit and advanced to second when Blanco's line drive caromed off the head of Fister and into shallow center. After being attended to by manager Jim Leyland and pitching coach Jeff Jones, Fister remained in the game and walked Crawford to load the bases before retiring Bumgarner.
Infante recorded Detroit's only other hit, a leadoff infield single in the fourth, but was caught stealing to end the inning.
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GAME NOTEBOOK: Bumgarner became the first Giant with consecutive scoreless outings of at least seven innings in the World Series since Christy Mathewson produced three straight in 1905. Bumgarner tossed eight scoreless frames in Game Four of the 2010 World Series against Texas. ... Bumgarner joined Mathewson (1905) and Carl Hubbell (1933) as the only Giants to begin a World Series game with consecutive strikeouts. ... Giants 2B Marco Scutaro went 0-for-4, ending his 11-game postseason hitting streak. ... Actor Matthew Morrison of the hit FOX show "Glee" sang the national anthem.
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