2012 World Series Giants take 4 straight over Tigers The 2012 playoffs were highlighted by stellar pitching enabling the Tigers to sweep the NY Yankees in 4 to win the AL Championship and the 2000 AL Pennant Meanwhile in the 2012 NLCS, the San Francisco Giants baseball team relied on defensive, strong pitching and clutch hitting to rally from down 3 games to 1 by jumping on the Cardinals early in the final game seven and winning 9 to 0. Led by batters third baseman Pablo Sandoval, a two run double by right fielder Hunter Pence and second baseman Marco Scutaro, who batted .500 in this 2012 NLCS. Giants starter Matt Cain, the winning pitcher in the 2012 All Star Game, tossed a shutout thru 6 innings, to put up the victory that carried San Francisco into the 2012 World Series vs Detroit. 2012 World Series Game 1 in San Francisco Pablo Sandoval, fondly called the Kung Fu Panda after a popular children animated movie with that name, rose to the occasion and powered 3 homers in his 1st three at bats to knock out mound ace Justin Verlander early and stake San Francisco to a 8 to 3 win in Game 1. The first two homers came off Verlander and the third rocket off Al Alburquerque. Pandamonium filled the 42955 in attendance in Giants Park after he lined his third consecutive homer, many fans were wearing Panda style hats. Pablo Sandoval became just the fourth player in baseball history to hit 3 straight homers, joining Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Albert Pujols. Only George Herman Babe Ruth did it twice. Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito stopped the power bats of the Tigers with a mix of a brilliant curve ball and off speed choices. The one time Cy Young pitcher while working for Oakland, picked up the win after yielding just one run in 6.2 innings. Justin Verlander had a streak of seven straight 2012 playoff wins broken dating back to the regular season. Game 2 in SF Giants manger Bruce Bouchy had lefty starter Madison Bumgarner pitched 7 scoreless innings enabling the San Francisco squad to win 2 to 0 over Detroit Thursday night October 26, 2012. Our man on the scene, John P Balazs, wearing a Panda hat, relayed the following to us. In the seventh inning, speedy Grego Blanco, leftfielder, infield single stopped just an inch or two fair on the infield grass to set up a run scoring double play grounder hit by Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford and enabled SF to break a scoreless tie. Hunter Pence lined a sacrifice fly in the eight for the final run. Giants defeat Tigers 2 to 0 in San Francisco. Game 3 in Detroit in Comerica Park Giants win 2 to 0 behind shutout pitching of starter Ryan Yogelsong and relievers Tim Lincecum plus Sergio Romo. Aided by a RBI triple by Giants leftfielder Gregor Blanco in the second inning and then scored on a single Brandon Crawford, shortstop, and stellar defensive play by many Giants, SF won 2 to 2. Game 4 in Detroit at Comerica Park before 42,010. The Giants started mound ace Matt Cain and the Tigers mound stalwart Max Scherzer. The San Francisco Giants baseball team won their third World Baseball Title in three years by defeating the Detroit 4-3 in 10 innings in Game 4 for a sweep. Giants DH and infielder Ryan Theriot singled in the tenth, moved to second on a sacrifice by Brandon Crawford and scored on a 2 out single by Marco Scuatrao. After the game, SF manager Bruce Buchy declared this about Ryan Theriot, he finds a way to get the bat on the ball and has battled right handers well and is an experienced veteran. And, our pitchers had quality starts and great bullpen work. When you play in the postseason you have to execute, run, hit, pitch and of course have great fielding. The Giants scored first on a double by Hunter Pence and a triple by first baseman Brandon Bell in the second inning. Detroit open a 2 to lead in the third inning when Austin Jackson, centerfielder and leadoff hitter, walked and score on a homer by 2012 AL Most Valuable Player Miguel Cabrera third baseman. It was the first time Detroit scored in 20 innings. Wow. In the sixth inning Giants star catcher Posey Posey lined a homer run off Tigers starter Max Scherzer with Marco Scutaro on base after getting on with an infield single. It was the third 2012 WS homer for Buster Posey. Giants up 3 to 2. DH Delmon Young launced a game tying homer in the sixth to tie the game at 3 all. It was his third homer and 9 RBIs in these 2012 WS Games. The homer came off SF starter Matt Cain. Matt Cain was attempting to become only the third pitcher in baseball history to win the clinching game in all three postseason series, but had a no decision. Matt Cain pitched well, 5 hits, 3 earned runs in 7 innings, 5 Ks, 2 BB. Giants reliever Jeremy Affedt pitched 1.2 innings of hitless baseball, striking out 4 and walked one, and kept his ERA at 0.00 . Next reliever Santiago Casilla was the wining pitcher, with one third of an inning. Closer Sergio Romo, the Giants player cheerleader, pitched a perfect tenth and chalked up his fourth save in 4 attempts, saving all 4 games of the sweep. Pablo Sandoval was the 2012 World Series Most Valuable Player After the games Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, Obviously, there was no double it. They swept us. The San Francisco Giants win their second World Series in three seasons. News by staff at baseballhistorian Archives Page 323 |
