Fake bearded towel waving Giants fans watched as Matt Cain was able to deliver a crushing defeat to the heavy hitting Texas Rangers, and for many fans, the idea of capturing their first World Series since 1954 is but a stone’s throw away.
Cain kept his 0.00 postseason ERA intact going nearly eight as he dazzled and confounded the Rangers’ hitters, while postseason veteran Edgar Renteria did the rest, going 2-4 with a key home-run in the fifth inning that got things going.
And boy did they go.
Another game in which the Giants overwhelmed the Rangers with a monster inning—seven runs in the eighth inning this time—and they did it with no men on and two outs, leaving some very critical questions on the table as the Texas Rangers head back to Arlington.
This Rangers team was supposed to out hit the Giants, but instead have been out hit themselves.
This Rangers team was supposed to, at the very least, match arms with the Giants rotation, but have seen two of their best postseason pitchers literally man handled.
And that was inside a very pitcher friendly park.
Now the series moves back to an Arlington Park that is known for affording hitters with great success, and one has to wonder if this Rangers team can slow down the torture that cometh.
But it isn’t just about slowing the Giants down.
The old adage location, location, location has been the key to every team’s demise who has faced the Dirty Dozen, so every pitch simply has to be perfect. These Giants hitters are patient, crafty and have found a way to adjust to pretty much anything you throw at them.
But that’s not all.
Their defense is nearly impenetrable, their pitching is nearly unhittable, and 20 runs in two World Series games is unthinkable.
Right on par for Halloween.
So the question now is how will the Rangers reverse what has been done. It seems as if they have done all they can to win a ball game, but to no avail.
Well this is also a team that can’t be overlooked.
Much like the Phillies, the Rangers have extremely good bats in their lineup, and extremely good pitching left to be used, so the Texas Rangers’ bats will have to come alive in Game 3 if they are to believe they even have a shot at winning this thing.
The pitching is a no-brainer: stop pitching these guys inside and over the middle.
It’s almost as if everybody still wants to challenge this team’s legitimacy as a true hitting ball club. Well guess what, they are!
If you’re going to pitch to the dirty dozen, then you must dig deep for that nasty, dirty stuff.
Sloping curves to the corners, changeups and breaking balls that break to the outside and anything else you can whip up that doesn’t sail over the middle of the plate. And hang in the zone like a feather without any wind under it.
The series is quickly turning into a lopsided contest, something the Giants want. So if the Rangers want to show up, now would be a good time.
For the Giants, the only stigma left to be avoided is turning into the 1981 Yankees.
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