DETROIT – The San Francisco Giants placed their stake on being the latest dominant team in a sport that has found new pride in parity.
They won their second World Series in three seasons Sunday, completing a sweep of the Tigers with a 4-3, 10-inning victory Sunday night at Comerica Park.
The winning rally came off Phil Coke when DH Ryan Theriot – who won a World Series with the Cardinals last year – singled. He was sacrificed to second by Brandon Crawford and scored on a two-out single by Marco Scutaro.
“He’s done a great job for us all year,” Bochy said of the reason for DHing Theriot. “He’s battled right-handers well and he’s an experienced veteran. He finds a way to get the bat on the ball.”
The Giants not only escaped having to go back to the West Coast for the inevitable clincher but avoided spending at least another day in Detroit, where the forecast for a potential Game 5 was not good.
In fact, Sunday’s game was played in a steady drizzle, gusting winds and temperatures in the low 40s.
The Giants again used their pitching to win, just like they did in 2010.
“I think it’s close (to 2010) with how these pitchers are throwing, the quality starts, the bullpen,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “This time of year you need your pitching to come through for you. . . .
“When you’re playing the clubs you play in postseason, you have to execute. You have to make your pitches. And these guys have been consistent doing it.”
The Giants took a 1-0 lead off Max Scherzer in the top of the second inning when Hunter Pence doubled and scored on Brandon Belt’s triple. It was his first hit of the Series after starting 0-for-10.
The Tigers came back in the top of the third with a pair of runs when Austin Jackson walked and Miguel Cabrera lofted a ball to right field that rode a gust of wind and landed just over the fence.
It was the first lead change in 75 innings in any postseason game. The last was in Game 3 of the NLCS.
It was also the first time the Tigers had scored a run after a 20-inning drought and the first time the Giants had not led any game in 56 innings.
The teams then traded home runs, with Buster Posey’s two-run sixth-inning shot – just inside the left-field foul pole – giving the Giants a 3-2 lead before Delmon Young’s solo shot in the bottom of the inning tied the game.
Scherzer left the game with one out and a runner on base in the seventh. Relievers Drew Smyly and Octavio Dotel got out without a run.
Scherzer walked only one and struck out eight while allowing seven hits.
Giants starter Matt Cain, trying to become only the third pitcher to win the clinching game in all three postseason series, also received a no-decision, although he allowed only five hits in seven innings.
The pitchers who have accomplished that feat were the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte in 2009 and the Red Sox’s Derek Lowe in 2004.
