2010 World Series Game 3 Preview
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San Francisco Giants at Texas Rangers
Saturday October 30, 6:30 PM ET
Texas: Colby Lewis 2-0, 1.45 post season
San Francisco: Jonathan Sanchez 0-1, 2.93 post season
The San Francisco Giants have done what few expected them to, open a 2-0 lead against the Texas Rangers in the World Series. In World Series play, 40 of the 51 teams to hold a 2-0 advantage have won it. If they can hold on, it would be San Francisco’s first victory in over 50 years.
The Giants have been minting pitchers in the post Bonds era, hoping for such a chance. First, there was Tim Lincecum who drew attention to the San Francisco pitching factory by winning two CY Young’s. This year they added Madison Bumgarner to the rotation. They key contributor this postseason, the one who has not grabbed the headlines until recently is Matt Cain, who pitched Game 2 and responded with his third straight shut down appearance in the postseason, limiting the Rangers to just four hits in 7.2 inning, which resulted in a 9-0 Giants win.
Taking the mound for Game 3 will most likely be Jonathan Sanchez, who has a bit more experience than rookie Bumgarner. Sanchez won 13 games in the regular season but has been a bit up and down in the postseason. In three starts, he has totaled 15.1 innings while allowing eight hits for a 2.93 ERA. The numbers are solid, but he was pulled early in an LCS appearance, hence the low inning count (8) in the two LCS starts. Sanchez is a power pitcher who strikes people out, but does suffer command issues from time to time. He has 19 strikeouts in those 15.1 innings of postseason play, along with six walks. For the season, his WHIP was a more respectable 1.23 since he only allowed 142 hits in 193 innings- yes he can be dominating.
Through two games, the Giants have done what they seemed incapable of –they have hit. Game 1 was 11-7, and Game 2, 9-0, so that’s a total of 20 runs in two games, which during the regular season might have been a week’s worth of scoring for the Giants.
They have had key contributions from the veterans and bench players. Edgar Renteria hit a one out homer in the fifth for the first of his career on a fastball. Juan Uribe continues his push for the “Mr. Postseason” crown, delivering a one out RBI with whom else, but Cody Ross on base. Ross had a down year during the regular season and was picked up from the Florida Marlins for pennies on the dollar and has responded by hitting .317 this postseason with 30 total bases in 41 at bats. In the first two games of the series he has three runs scored, a pair of walks, a double, and two hits in seven at bats. While the rest of the lineup is sure to follow its season form and cool down, these guys have delivered the veteran leadership needed as a World Series contender.
CJ Wilson took the ball yesterday and imploded, leaving Colby Lewis as the swingman in Game 3. He has been strong in three postseason starts, winning two and allowing only 11 hits and striking out 18 in 18.2 innings of work. Lewis has walked 11 so far in the playoffs and has yet to suffer from all those walks, a trend which can’t last forever. He needs to be sharper against the Giants who seem to be capitalizing on every mistake the Rangers make. The bullpen has been roughed up in two straight, so manager Ron Washington will hope the starter can get him deep into the game before turning it over to closer Neftali Feliz.
The offense scored seven runs in Game 1, but was let down by a pitching staff which allowed 11.
In Game 2, the bats went silent and were shut out, so one must wonder if that hot streak which started against the Yankees has ended. It would be terrible timing, but terrific pitching tends to do that and San Francisco certainly has it.
The lineup went 4-30 in game two leaving 12 on base, only struck out two times, which is impressive, but did send a lot of fly balls to the outfield.
The Giants Park is huge so the Rangers should get it going at home. So far, team leader Josh Hamilton is 1-8 in the World Series after hitting four homeruns against the Yankees. Table setter Elvis Andrus went 1-3 with two runs in Game 1, but didn’t do much in Game 2 managing a walk in three at bats. As a team through two games, the Rangers are 15-66 with only five extra base hits — all doubles.
San Francisco’s staff isn’t one that gives up a lot of homeruns, so Texas must find a way to be productive beyond the long ball, something they are not very proficient at doing. In close games moving a runner along and setting up the run is more important than swinging for the fences and coming up short. Ron Washington has that old time experience, now he just needs to convince his KO Kids that they don’t always need to go for the knockout.
The odds makers have the Rangers as a -1.5 point favorite with an over/under run total of 8.5.
Matt’s Prediction: I don’t think the Rangers will go down this quietly, so they should make enough thunder to win Game 3. Jonathan Sanchez is a terrific pitcher, but prone to command issues, exactly the type of pitcher Texas needs to face to get its hitting on track. They can draw a walk, and make a pitcher pay for those extra base runners with the long ball. Lewis is the veteran presence that will keep Texas in the game until the offense can strike.
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