With 2010 being dubbed “The Year of the Pitcher,” it seemed fitting that two Cy Young award winners would match up in Game 1. With the world series contenders ironically knocking off the contenders of LAST YEAR’S World Series, this one will surely lack the buzz of last year’s, yet it will still provide a good show.

Last night, the San Francisco Giants pushed the Texas Rangers off a Cliff by winning the pitcher’s duel turned slugfest 11-7.

Thanks to a 6 run 5th inning, Juan Uribe’s three run shot, and Freddy Sanchez’s record setting three doubles, San Fran emerged victorious and put themselves three wins away from their first World Series title in 55 years.
The challenge was lofty for both clubs as both pitchers were coming off exceptional postseasons. Giant’s starter Tim Lincecum gave up 1 hit while striking out 14 in his postseason debut and hasn’t looked back since posting a 2-1 record with a 1.76 era. In the other dugout, Cliff Lee has continued to showcase his dominance. The coveted free agent of the past summer and baseball’s journey man (Cleveland, Philadelphia, Seattle, and finally Texas in two seasons) has struck out at least 10 batters in each of his three starts to date while posting a 3-0 record, a 0.75 era, and an incredible 39:1 strikeout to walk ratio. This was set to be a pitchers duel from the beginning.
Lincecum ran into trouble in the first two innings limiting the damage to a 2-0 deficit after two. Ian Kinsler smashed a hard hit ground ball to Uribe at third base with the bases loaded and one out. Uribe fielded the ball cleanly, stepped on 3rd, and threw a rocket to first base. Double play, inning over. The early lead and their pitcher looking human was not an insurmountable problem, but more so an obstacle as the Giants struck back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Michael Young committed the first error of a night that saw four errors for the Texas Rangers. A sloppy game defensively, the Giants came back in this inning. Two innings later in the 5th, the Giants broke out, beginning with Sanchez’s clutch double to left field, and capitalizing with Uribe’s three run shot into the left field seats. For the first time, Cliff Lee seemed human, surrendering 7 runs in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Though Lincecum wasn’t much better, he still got the win in a gutsy game one performance.
Overall, the game combined for 18 runs from both clubs as San Francisco took game one. With seven Giants driving in runs and a combined 14 hits, San Francisco was resilient and aggressive facing their hyped up World Series foe. They proved what every little league coach tells his team the before the first game, “put the ball in play and things will happen.”
Projected Game 2 starters: CJ Wilson will be taking the ball for the Rangers. The underrated lefty posts a 1-1 record with a 3.93 era. For those of you who remember, Wilson pitched 7 innings of one run baseball in Game 1 of the ALCS. If not for the Yankees comeback, he would have gotten the W. Matt Cain will be on the hill for San Francisco. Just like the game he starts, over the past three seasons, he has been Lincecum’s second in command on the now potent Giant’s pitching staff. He has been dependable, a lights out pitcher this postseason, yet to give up an earned run. Game 2 is tonight, 10/28/10 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
I’m applying to USF and I enjoyed Haight and Ashbury very much. That said, Let’s Go Giants.