Rangers Beat Themselves; Giants Capture Sloppy Game 1 Victory

Freddy Sanchez became the first player Wednesday night to ever double in each of his first three World-Series at bats.

            In a game promoted for the star pitchers facing off against each other, the little guys stole the show.  The San Francisco Giants call themselves a bunch of “misfits”, since their roster consists of very few big names.  The leader of the “misfits” Wednesday night was Giants’ second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who started his World Series’ debut off with three consecutive doubles in his first three at-bats and ultimately went 4 for 5 with two runs scored and 3 RBIs.

            The Giants-Rangers matchup in itself features very few star-players, and those well-known names looked extremely unimpressive in Game 1.  Cliff Lee threw 4 and two-thirds, allowed 8 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) while Tim Lincecum went 5 and two-thirds, allowed 8 hits, and 4 runs (all earned), striking out a measly three batters and throwing 93 pitches.  ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton was 0 for 4 and the likely 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, Buster Posey, was 1 for 5 with an RBI.

            Before the game started, I questioned the decision by Rangers’ manager Ron Washington to put Vladimir Guerrero in right field.  Washington wanted Vlad, who played DH for the Rangers all season, in the lineup behind Josh Hamilton, and due to the lack of a DH in the National League, he was forced to start him in the outfield.  I understand that.  What I don’t understand is why you put the aging slugger in right field rather than left field, where Nelson Cruz played.  Right field is tougher defensively because of the long throw to third base.  Cruz played 94 games in right field and 14 games in left field this season.  Guerrero reinforced my notion in the early innings when he looked uncomfortable fielding pop-ups and singles hit to him.  He ultimately made two errors on the night, both bobbles, including one in the 8^th on a Freddy Sanchez single which turned into two-bases.  Why are the Rangers playing on the road anyway?  Why does Ron Washington have to make that choice?  From Bruce Jenkins’ (SF Chronicle) article on Wednesday:  “Lets pause to realize why we’re in San Francisco, instead of Texas, for games 1 and 2: because Atlanta’s Brian McCann hit a three-run double off Chicago’s Matt Thornton in the All-Star Game.  You just have to marvel at that brand of reasoning.”  

            I don’t mean to pick on Vlad: both teams looked awful defensively, combining for 6 errors on the night.  The Giants and Rangers put on a perfect lesson for youngsters of how not to win a World Series title: bad pitching and worse defense. 

            GM Brian Sabean and GM Jon Daniels' teams looked more like the on-paper no-names than the “scrappy” bunch that analysts praised for their combination of good young pitching, offensive small-ball, and speed on the base paths. 

            The game started out looking like the Little League World Series from the beginning when Tim Lincecum fielded a one-out dribbler in the top of the first with runners on first and third.  The Freak ran towards Michael Young and trapped him in a pickle between home and third.  Perfect execution to this point; however, as Lincecum ran the runner back to third base where Giants’ third basemen Juan Uribe stood waiting for a throw, Lincecum simply never threw him the ball.  It’s one thing to throw the ball over a guy’s head during a run-down – physical errors happen to everyone – but to not even throw the ball!  Bochy looked calm and relaxed in the dugout afterwards but I’m sure he had a word or two for his ace when the inning ended.

            The Giants needed to beat Cliff Lee in Game 1.  Props to them for not looking back after undergoing an early 2-0 deficit.  With that said, the Rangers know they beat themselves to an extent.  If you told me before the game that the Rangers would score 7 runs and lose this game, I’d have gambled money that they would win the game.  This is only the third time in the last 42 games that both the Giants and their opponent have scored 5 or more runs.  Therefore, a general rule of thumb is that whoever reaches 5 runs first wins.  Not on Wednesday night though.

            I’ll give a pass on the Game 1 jitters to merely two young teams getting nervous in their first World Series appearance.  Game 2 needs to be less sloppy.  The Rangers wheel out another lefty in C.J. Wilson who goes up against the Giants’ Matt Cain tomorrow night.