(Sports Network) - The San Francisco Giants try to lock down their first World Series title in 56 years this evening when they play Game 5 against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
World Series Game 5, Giants Vs. Rangers: Cliff Lee Looks To Force Return To San Francisco
Rookie Madison Bumgarner moved the Giants to the brink of their first title since 1954 on Sunday, as he tossed eight scoreless innings in San Francisco's 4-0 win. Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey both homered for the Giants, who have won three of the first four games in this series and will be shooting for their sixth title overall, but their first since moving to San Francisco in 1958.
The Giants had won five titles while stationed in New York, but are 0-3 in the Fall Classic since leaving, including a seven-game loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in their last appearance in 2002.
Bumgarner, though, took a big step toward changing all that, as he was terrific in scattering three hits and two walks, while fanning six.
“I tried to tell myself it was just another game,” said Bumgarner, who turned 21 on August 1. “I didn’t expect this in my wildest dreams.”
History is strongly on the side of the Giants, as only five teams have come back from 3-1 deficits to win a seven-game World Series, and 24 of the previous 44 such series ended in Game 5.
Tommy Hunter (0-1) lasted just four innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk for Texas, which managed just one baserunner past first.
The Rangers, who lost 9-0 in Game 2 at San Francisco, are the first team to be shut out twice in a World Series since the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers failed to score in the final three games while being swept by Baltimore.
“We couldn’t get anything mustered on him. When we thought we might get something done, he gets the ball on the ground and gets outs,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Bumgarner. “He threw real well tonight. He didn’t throw one pitch at the same speed ... The kid did a great job.”
San Francisco will have its work cut out for it tonight when it faces left- hander Cliff Lee, who was tagged with his first-ever postseason loss in Game 1 of this series.
Lee, who will be making his first home start this postseason, had been 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA for his career in the playoffs heading into Game 1 last Wednesday, but was roughed up for seven runs (six earned) and eight hits in just 4 2/3 innings.
“I was throwing balls over the heart of the plate,” he said. “I wasn’t working ahead in the count as well as I would like. You know, I hit a guy on an 0-2 pitch, I walked a guy. Those are the things I don’t need to do, especially in the World Series.”
Lee has still struck out 41 batters and walked only two in 28 2/3 postseason innings this year.
Last year while pitching for Philadelphia, Lee took the ball with his team trailing 3-1 in the World Series and won the game. However, the Phillies bowed out the next night.
While the Rangers have their ace on the hill, there is nobody else San Francisco would rather have than the reigning two-time NL Cy Young Award winner in righty Tim Lincecum, who, like Lee, was off in his Game 1 start. However, Lincecum earned the win despite surrendering four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
“I just want to be more aggressive, of course,” Lincecum said. “Quality of strikes as opposed to just throwing strikes.”
Lincecum is 3-1 this postseason with a 2.79 ERA. He’s also averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings in the playoffs.
"Timmy's a big-game pitcher," Giants first baseman Travis Ishikawa said. "He wouldn't be in this situation if he wasn't. We've got all the confidence in the world in him. They've got their stud over there going, too, so it's going to be a good game. There's nothing guaranteed. But we definitely feel confident with Timmy on the mound."
While the Rangers are enjoying the first real postseason run in the team’s 50- year franchise history, the Giants are no stranger to the World Series and are making their 18th appearance.
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