The San Francisco Giants proved yet again that the 2010 Major League Baseball season was the year of the pitcher. And in a world series dominated by pitching, the Giants’ Tim Lincecum demonstrated once more why he is the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Lincecum powered San Francisco to its first title since moving to the Bay Area in 1958, as the Giants defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1 in game five Monday night. The win closed the best-of-seven series at four games to one.
Monday’s contest in Arlington was a fitting ending to a series in which the losing club scored only 12 runs in five games. San Francisco, the National League West Division champions, successfully shut down Texas’ high-powered offense, which boasted the American League’s highest team batting average throughout the regular season. Strong performances from Lincecum, Matt Cain and rookie Madison Bumgarner reminded fans why the Giants’ pitching staff turned in the lowest team ERA in 2010.
San Francisco jumped out a quick, two-game lead in the series’ first two games, held in front of their home crowd at AT&T Park.
Game one, an 11-7 triumph, offered the most offensive excitement. Giants’ second baseman Freddy Sanchez went four-for-five with three runs batted in. Spurred by a Juan Uribe three-run homer in the fifth inning, the home team was able to withstand a late-inning rally from Texas to claim the initial game.
The Giants put on an encore in game two the following day, scoring seven runs in the eighth inning en route to a 9-0 drubbing of the AL’s finest. Matt Cain continued his record-setting postseason, as his stellar performance on Thursday increased his consecutive scoreless inning streak to 21 1/3. That total trails only Kenny Rogers’ 23 straight in 2006. The Rangers’ CJ Wilson turned in a quality start of his own, allowing just two earned runs in six innings.
The visitors’ bullpen was unable to follow suit, as manager Ron Washington utilized four relievers in the eighth inning, two of which failed to record an out. Three RBIs and a homer from eventual World Series MVP Edgar Renteria, coupled with four Texas errors, paced the home squad as the series headed to Arlington with the Rangers desperately in need of a win.
A sellout crowd at Rangers Ballpark, energized by the excitement of hosting its first ever Fall Classic, willed their team to a 4-2 victory in a must-win game three for the home squad. Texas was at last able to turn the tables on San Francisco, led by rookie Mitch Moreland’s second-inning three-run blast. The Rangers were successful in hitting Giants’ starter Jonathan Sanchez, who was replaced after 4 2/3 innings. Star outfielder Josh Hamilton reminded everyone of his power, clubbing a towering homer in the fifth inning. Rangers’ starter Colby Lewis turned in an outstanding outing, allowing just five hits over 7 2/3 innings.
Game four flashed the depth and youth of the visiting club’s roster. The Giants, dressed in their Halloween-appropriate black and orange uniforms, showed that their pitching staff is more than just Lincecum and Cain. Madison Bumgarner pitched perhaps the best game of his young career on Sunday, allowing just three hits in eight innings of work. He also recorded six strikeouts.
Another promising rookie, Giants’ catcher Buster Posey, proved why he was the fifth overall selection in the 2008 draft. His reputation as an extraordinary defensive catcher was on display after throwing out Josh Hamilton at second base to end the fourth inning. Later in the game, Posey flaunted his offensive prowess, belting a home run to deep centerfield. Texas’ two, three and four hitters struck out a combined six times throughout the contest, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of the home fans on Halloween night.
Fittingly, the deciding game of the series again featured superior pitching by San Francisco. Tim Lincecum’s second gem of the series silenced a desperate Texas crowd, who witnessed the shaggy-haired ace fan ten batters in eight innings of work. He bested his game one performance, allowing merely three hits and one run in the form of a Nelson Cruz homer in the seventh. Cruz’s home run answered a three-run shot from Edgar Renteria in the top half of the inning. With three outs remaining in the game, closer Brian Wilson came on to close out the World Series. Wilson, one of the best closers in baseball, did his job, striking out Hamilton to win the championship.
The momentous victory capped an unexpected and wild season for San Francisco, who snuck into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season. Their lack of a true offensive superstar is a testament to the value of consistency to a club. With several of the team’s most valuable players just beginning to enter their primes, the Giants’ faithful should expect the club’s success to continue in the future. The average age of their star pitching trio of Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner is just 24 years old.
For Cliff Lee, whom Texas acquired at the trade deadline, 2010 marks the second consecutive year in which he has helped a team reach the World Series following his acquisition. Last season, after a trade from Cleveland, Lee played a key role in the Philadelphia Phillies’ World Series title. His time as a Ranger may be short-lived, however. Lee is rumored to be looking for a new team, as Texas is unlikely to offer the 32-year-old the lucrative contract other clubs will.
Success on the game’s biggest stage is nothing new for the World Series’ most valuable player, Edgar Renteria. 2010 marked his third MLB championship as a player, each of which has come with a different team. Renteria’s .412 batting average, six runs batted in and pair of home runs prove that he earned the award.