The San Francisco Giants are off to a hot 2-0 start in the World Series and are looking to finish things up in Detroit. But there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played.
Below, we’ll give you a time and TV primer, and then a preview of the remaining games.
Game 3: Saturday, October 27
Time: 8:07 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Game 4: Sunday October 28
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Game 5: Monday, October 29*
Time: 8:07 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Game 6: Wednesday, October 31*
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Game 7: Thursday, November 1*
Time: 8:07 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
*if necessary
Now, onto the preview.
The Giants are in command. They’re up 2-0 and their best pitcher, Matt Cain, hasn’t taken the rubber yet. Game 3 will feature Ryan Vogelsong as the starter (14-9, 3.37 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 158 K, 189.2 IP). He’ll be ready. But Anibal Sanchez is no slouch (1.35 ERA and 0.98 WHIP so far in the playoffs).
Detroit wants to get a win so they can be down only 2-1 when Justin Verlander takes the hill in Game 4. Yes, he didn’t have his best start in Game 1. But he’s arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and it’s unlikely he’ll have two bad starts in a row.
Game 3 holds the key to the series. If the Giants win, it’s all but over. If Detroit wins, then it’s a whole new ballgame.
The Tigers really need to get Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder going. Being at home will help, as will having the DH. But the two are hitting a combined .182 and have only one RBI. That’s not going to cut it.
In fact, Bob Nightengale of USA Today thinks that they’re the reason for the 0-2 hole. As he writes:
Fielder and Cabrera are tough dudes, representing the brute strength and power of their blue-collar town, but these guys have turned as soft as Brie cheese on a sunny California day.
Ouch. If one of the two finds their groove, especially by delivering in a big situation, then things can get back on track. But if not, this series will be over quite fast.
As for the Giants, they just need to keep doing what they’ve been doing. They’ve been pitching tremendously—there’s no reason why Vogelsong and Cain won’t continue that. Pablo Sandoval has been great, obviously. The bullpen has been good, much better than woeful Detroit’s.
This all comes down to Game 3. Whoever comes out on top will change the trajectory of the series. It will make for an outstanding game.
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